NEXRAD Product Improvement – Update 2010

The NEXRAD tri-agencies (Department of Commerce, National Weather Service; the Department of Defense, Air Force Weather Agency; the Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration) have established the NEXRAD Product Improvement (NPI) Program as a long-term activity to steadily improve WSR-88D science and technology. New algorithms and technology continue to be fielded on the open systems Radar Product Generator (ORPG) and open systems Radar Data Acquisition (ORDA). The NPI program is also in the midst of a project to implement dual polarization (DP) throughout the WSR-88D network, which will vastly improve rainfall estimates, hydrometeor classification and overall data quality. The DP upgrade has been installed on the National Severe Storms Laboratory WSR-88D, and is expected to be undergoing system testing by the time of the Conference. Numerous examples of DP data will be shown at the Conference. NPI is also working to integrate weather data from several FAA radar systems into NWS operational use. Data from all 45 Terminal Doppler Weather Radar (TDWR) units are now providing WFO forecasters routine, expanded low altitude coverage and enhanced WSR-88D back-up capabilities. Additionally, NPI is field testing the capability to utilize data from FAA Air Route Surveillance Radar Model 4 units in Watford City, ND, and Makah, WA, and an Airport Surveillance Radar Model 11 unit in Erie, PA. On the horizon are potential projects for short wavelength, boundary layer radars to improve low altitude tornado detection and to support storm scale NWP models. A bit further out is the potential for incorporation of Phased Array Antenna technology, with its promise of comprehensive, rapid scanning surveillance. This paper updates the status of NPI projects, describes recent science and technology enhancements to the WSR-88D, and explores the expanding opportunities for development and implementation of new radar science and techniques intended to use WSR-88D and FAA weather radar data.