WSR-88D Radar Data Processing at NCEP

Real-time access to WSR-88D level-II radar data from a network of 135 Doppler radar stations became available in May, 2005 at NCO/NCEP. Optimal uses of radar data in NCEP's operational environment require proper radar data processing and data quality control. Prior to assimilation or other applications of radar data, reliable and efficient techniques are needed to deal with various radar data quality problems. A suite of sophisticated radar data quality control algorithm schemes originally developed by NSSL is further improved and implemented at NCEP to deal with radar data quality problems in an operational environment. In addition, a high-resolution reflectivity mosaic package developed by NSSL is implemented at NCEP to generate hourly 3D reflectivity mosaics. Quality controlled radial-velocity and reflectivity data are utilized in NCEP's regional data assimilation system. Reflectivity data are further used to verify high resolution model simulated reflectivity fields. Operational processing of level-II radar data at NCEP will be described in detail.