Towards the next generation operational meteorological radar

Mark Weber, Kurt Hondl, Nusrat Yussouf, Youngsun Jung, Derek Stratman, Bryan Putnam, Xuguang Wang, Terry Schuur, Charles Kuster, Yixin Wen, Juanzhen Sun, Jeff Keeler, Zhuming Ying, John Cho, James Kurdzo, Sebastian Torres, Chris Curtis, David Schvartzman, Jami Boettcher, Feng NaiHenry Thomas, Dusan Zrnić, Igor Ivić, Djordje Mirković, Caleb Fulton, Jorge Salazar, Guifu Zhang, Robert Palmer, Mark Yeary, Kevin Cooley, Michael Istok, Mark Vincent

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

45 Scopus citations

Abstract

This article summarizes research and risk reduction that will inform acquisition decisions regarding NOAA's future national operational weather radar network. A key alternative being evaluated is polarimetric phased-array radar (PAR). Research indicates PAR can plausibly achieve fast, adaptive volumetric scanning, with associated benefits for severe-weather warning performance. We assess these benefits using storm observations and analyses, observing system simulation experiments, and real radar-data assimilation studies. Changes in the number and/ or locations of radars in the future network could improve coverage at low altitude. Analysis of benefits that might be so realized indicates the possibility for additional improvement in severe-weather and flash-flood warning performance, with associated reduction in casualties. Simulations are used to evaluate techniques for rapid volumetric scanning and assess data quality characteristics of PAR. Finally, we describe progress in developing methods to compensate for polarimetric variable estimate biases introduced by electronic beam-steering. A research-to-operations (R2O) strategy for the PAR alternative for the WSR-88D replacement network is presented.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)E1357-E1382
JournalBulletin of the American Meteorological Society
Volume102
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2021

Keywords

  • Mesoscale forecasting
  • Nowcasting
  • Numerical weather prediction/forecasting
  • Operational forecasting
  • Radars/Radar observations
  • Weather radar signal processing

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Towards the next generation operational meteorological radar'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this