Improving Severe Weather Detection and Warning through Advanced Dual Polarization Algorithms and Social Media

The availability of new dual polarization radar-derived products and advances in communication technology have greatly improved the detection, dissemination, and validation of life threatening weather events.

This presentation will examine three distinct and differing weather events, including a severe weather tornadic event, a flooding event, and a snowfall event where the latest dual polarization radar derived value-added products aided situational awareness to allow for quicker and more accurate identification of critical weather events by meteorologists; how this information can be relayed to the public via various dissemination channels ranging from on-air broadcast, to smartphone Apps, and social media; and finally, how social media engagement validates the detection, leads to public confidence and action, and ultimately leads to the improvement of detection algorithms.