Improving and Exploiting Polarimetric Weather Radar Data - Plans and Status

The Tri-Agency WSR-88D Radar Operations Center (ROC) manages on-going efforts to improve and exploit the new data products now available as a result of the recent successful deployment of the polarimetric upgrade. The ROC team is working with research community partners to improve algorithms, with an emphasis on calibration in support of better precipitation estimation and echo classification. The team is also pursuing improved radar signal sensitivity and data quality through adaptive threshold management and real time noise estimation. Better mitigation of range velocity ambiguities will be addressed with radar waveform changes such as Staggered Pulse Repetition Time (SPRT). The ROC is also working on increasing the efficiency of volume scans through innovative and adaptive scanning techniques. These sustaining activities include hardware and software infrastructure development as part of a service life extension program. The system upgrades include a next generation digital receiver and signal processor and reliability modifications to the transmitter. This paper will review these data quality and efficiency improvements, including development plans and current status of near term software releases.