Issues and Advances in WSR-88D Rainfall Estimation of Flash Flood Events in Complex Terrain

Though the national network of WSR-88D's brought tremendous improvement in operational flash flood forecasting in recent years, a number of issues, concerning in particular sampling geometry and microphysics, remain outstanding in WSR-88D rainfall estimation in complex terrain. In this presentation we point out the key scientific and operational issues, describe the ongoing efforts in NWS to improve the accuracy of WSR-88D rainfall estimates, in particular in complex terrain, and suggest, in the context of the current and planned operating environment of WSR-88D and AWIPS, research topics and directions that are potentially of large and immediate impact.