MESO-SAILS Radar Scan Strategy Leading to Improved Severe Weather Detection

Beginning in 2014, the NWS instituted a new radar scan strategy for VCP 12/212 called SAILS; this new radar scan strategy inserted an additional lowest elevation scan during each complete VCP. The NWS followed by introducing MESO-SAILS during 2016; this radar scan strategy inserted an additional 2 or 3 lowest elevation scans during each complete VCP. This new radar scan strategy has led to the ability to provide value-added severe weather products that are more timely and accurate than those possible with products created once each VCP.

This presentation will highlight how Baron Services, Inc has leveraged this new MESO-SAILS radar scan strategy to develop more accurate and timely value added products to aid in the detection of high winds, hail, flooding rains, and tornadoes. Several case studies will examine documented improvement in not only the detection of these types of events, but also the improvement in lead time and alerting.