Recent Results Using RaXPol to Document Tornadogenesis and Recent Upgrades to the Radar

The RaXPol (Rapid-scan X-band Polarimetric) mobile Doppler radar has collected some excellent volumetric, polarimetric, high-temporal resolution datasets documenting tornadogenesis and tornado evolution in 2015, 2016, and 2017. The nature of the phenomena resolved in these datasets will be summarized, including ones from 16 May 2015 near Elmer, OK, 9 May 2016 near Sulphur, OK, 24 May 2016 near Dodge City, KS, and 26 March 2017 near Ada, OK. Others that are collected in 2017 will also be described if they are realized. The scientific issues unique to each will be described. Also, many upgrades made to RaXPol in the past year will be detailed. The radar has a much better display system and a new ability to record I and Q data for post-processing, including the use of the “strobe mode” which can eliminate beam smearing caused by the very rapid mechanical rotation of the antenna.