Weather radar products from the United States' NEXRAD network are used as key inputs to FAA weather systems such as CIWS, ITWS, and WARP. High Resolution VIL and High Resolution Enhanced Echo Tops provide information about precipitation location, intensity and height. Forecast algorithms use that to predict future location and intensity information critically important for both terminal and en route air traffic control planning. Compromised data quality negatively impacts forecast algorithm performance to the detriment of air traffic control activities.

This paper will detail the newest initiatives towards furthering data quality of the main products as they are used in the FAA weather systems. A three-tiered system is applied to effect improvement. The first tier involves improving the data quality from individual radars. New techniques are being included in the NEXRAD Data Quality Assurance algorithm. This includes methods to remove sun strobes, spikes, and speckle. The second tier involves using additional non-radar evidence to aid improving the quality of the radar products, particularly for the most challenging circumstances. A cloud mask, derived from satellite imagery, enhances the removal of severe anomalous propagation and ground clutter from the mosaic especially during daylight hours. The third tier – multi sensor mosaicing – uses maximum plausibility logic to identify data anomalies that are not consistent across multiple sensors.

This work was sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) under Air Force Contract No. FA8721-05-C-0002. Opinions, interpretations, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the United States Government.