Recorded presentation9A.6
Rapid sampling of low-altitude circulations by phased array radar
Pamela L. Heinselman, NOAA/NSSL, Norman, OK; and K. Manross, T. Smith, R. A. Brown, D. Priegnitz, and R. Hluchan
A key advantage of the S-band National Weather Radar Testbed Phased Array Radar (NWRT PAR) is the capability to adaptively scan storms at higher temporal resolution than is possible by the S-band Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D)--1 min or less vs 4 min, respectively. Recent comparative analyses of data collected in spring and summer of 2006 by the NWRT PAR and the nearby Twin Lakes (KTLX) WSR-88D on a reintensifying supercell, a microburst, and a hail storm illustrate several advantages of rapid volumetric scanning by the NWRT PAR. These advantages result from the NWRT PAR's fuller depiction of storm evolution and include superior ability to track rapid evolution of quasi-horizontal velocity signatures (e.g., storm inflow, outflow, and rotation), greater capability to identify and track reflectivity- and velocity-based precursors of microbursts, and quicker assessment of the hail threat within a rapidly developing storm, to name a few.
During the Spring 2007 NWRT PAR Demonstration, rapid-update data were collected on numerous storms located within 100 km of this radar that produced low-to-midaltitude circulations. These data were available to meteorologists in real time to evaluate operational benefits and challenges of the PAR data. This paper will share significant findings from forecaster evaluations, document the spectrum of circulation-producing storms and their attributes, and compare the characteristics of circulations depicted by NWRT PAR to those depicted by KTLX and the Oklahoma City Terminal Doppler Weather Radar.
Session 9A, Radar IIPS and Applications, Part II
Thursday, 24 January 2008, 1:30 PM-3:00 PM, 206
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