WSR-88D Radar Projects - Update 2013

The National Weather Service (NWS) and its WSR-88D/NEXRAD Program tri-agency partners (Department of Defense, Air Force; and Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration) have collaborated to improve the WSR-88Ds mission performance through enhanced weather radar capabilities. The NEXRAD Program is implementing the dual polarization technology modification on the 160 operational WSR-88D systems. Deployment will be completed in the summer of 2013. Dual Polarization is the most significant change in the WSR-88D since the original deployment in the 1990s and is already demonstrating improved rainfall estimates, hydrometeor classification, data quality, and other capabilities to help forecasters issue forecasts and weather warnings with more accuracy, confidence, and specificity. New or improved WSR-88D algorithms and technology continue to be fielded on the Radar Product Generator and Radar Data Acquisition. Software development is in progress to further increase the frequency of low-angle scans, improve velocity dealiasing, reduce clutter in radar data, further reduce range-folded data, and improve dual polarization algorithms by tuning them for the various climatic regimes in which the WSR-88D systems operate. This presentation and planned manuscript will provide a high-level overview of ongoing and planned projects to improve WSR-88D science and technology – as a tool to help decision makers during the forecast and warning process.