Fine-scale dual-Doppler and in situ observations of the boundary layer in Hurricane Isaac (2012)

Three DOWs (DOW6, DOW7 and the Rapid-Scan DOW) were deployed on levees surrounded by inundated marshland in Plaquemines Parish, LA during the passage of Hurricane Isaac (August 2012). The dual-Doppler baselines ranged from 1.72 km to 6 km, which is the smallest multiple Doppler network in a hurricane, to date. Radar resolution volumes in the dual-Doppler lobes created by the 1.72 km baseline are ~20 m, providing the opportunity for extremely fine-scale single- and dual-Doppler retrievals. In addition, over a dozen 1-meter and 2-meter above ground level (AGL) in situ weather stations and a 10-meter AGL Florida Coastal Monitoring Program (FCMP) weather station were deployed within the multi-Doppler network. A hybrid scanning strategy, which alternated between deep dual-Doppler volumes (1 – 10 degrees in elevation) and continuous 7-second single-, low-level updates, was employed. This scanning strategy ensured that both a comparison of low-level radar winds to surface wind measurements and a three-dimensional analysis of the hurricane boundary layer were possible. Much of the area became flooded during the event, providing both open exposure and residential exposure measurements. Preliminary dual-Doppler and integrated in situ analysis will be presented.