Forecast Improvements
NSSL Project 3 – Severe Weather Warning Research and Application Development: Dual- Polarimetric WSR-88D Development
Funding Type: CIMMS Task II
Objectives
Provide technical coordination with NOAA and external agencies regarding
the upcoming dualpolarimetric upgrade to the national WSR-88D network.
Accomplishments
CIMMS scientists coordinated a field evaluation of candidate dual-polarization
WSR-88D products. Examples of base dual-polarization data and algorithm
output from several significant weather events were distributed to users
of WSR-88D data at numerous agencies internal and external to NOAA. Online
worksheets and questionnaires for the participants were created. Feedback
from field participants was collected and analyzed, and a report was
written containing a number of findings and recommendations for the developers
of the final software for the dual-polarization of WSR-88D. This work
will be followed by another formal evaluation of dual-polarization products
at the first upgraded WSR-88D site in Wichita, Kansas. Preparation is
underway for this field test.
Updated functional descriptions of the dual-polarization Quantitative Precipitation Estimation, Melting Layer Detection, and Hydrometeor Classification algorithms were written and delivered to the ROC. CIMMS scientists participated in numerous NOAA planning meetings regarding the upgrade, fielded phone calls and e-mail inquiries, and provided expertise on dual-polarization science to NOAA software developers.
This project is ongoing.
Example web module for field users of WSR-88D data to allow them to provide feedback on candidate dualpolarization WSR-88D products.