Six years of polarimetric C-band radar data from three sites in Germany and five sites in Türkiye

In this study, six years (2015-2020) of polarimetric C-band radar data from three sites in Germany and five sites in Türkiye are statistically analyzed. The data is provided by the operational networks of both countries, i.e. the German Weather Service (DWD) and the Turkish State Meteorological Service (TSMS). The radars of the two countries monitor contrasting climatic conditions, providing valuable insights into the differences in precipitation-generating processes and patterns.
Germany's climate is overall temperate and humid; two of the radar sites studied are located in the northeast of the country with an annual precipitation around 600 mm, and the third one on the southwest of Germany receives around 800 mm annually. On the other hand, Türkiye has a wider variety of climates with stronger seasonality. The northern coast has temperate oceanic climate and the Mediterranean region has subtropical climate with overall very dry and hot summers and rainy-temperate winters. The interior of the country has overall arid conditions with extreme seasonal and diurnal variations of temperature. Out of the five analyzed radar sites, two are located in the center-south of the country, two in the center-north and the fifth one covers most of western Türkiye. These five radars cover an area where precipitation can range from 400 mm to 800 mm annually, with a wide seasonal variation.
Cumulative frequency-altitude diagrams (CFADs) derived from quasi-vertical profiles (QVPs) of the polarimetric moments and microphysical retrievals provide a comprehensive view of the precipitation processes. We utilized an information entropy method and a melting layer detection algorithm to select samples of stratiform events from the given period and to derive CFADs. Statistical characteristics of the polarimetric variables in the dendritic growth layer and in the melting layer, along with microphysical retrievals below and above the melting layer (ice and liquid water contents IWC/LWC, particle number concentrations Nice/Nwater, and mean volume diameters Dice/Dwater) are investigated and compared. Additionally, we identify deep convective events and analyze their characteristics in radar observation space, comparing between events in different climate conditions. In the future, this large radar dataset will also be compared to model simulations with the ICON numerical weather prediction model, as part of a project related to regional climate change and land-use change in Europe.