Weather Radar

NWA Remote Sensing Committee

The WSR-88D Doppler radar (NEXRAD) represents the backbone of the severe weather warning system in the United States for both the National Weather Service (NWS) and Department of Defense (DoD). There are a total of 164 NEXRAD sites in the U. S., including Alaska, Guam, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. There are also many Doppler radars operated by major market television stations. A more specialized weather radar for the detection of microbursts in the vicinity of some large airports is the Terminal Doppler Weather Radar (TDWR), operated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). New technologies that will emerge later in the decade are Phased Array Radars, an adaptation of military technology that will allow faster scan rates, and Dual Polarization, which will allow better determination of precipitation phase and particle sizes. A dual wavelength radar system to help detect hazardous aircraft icing is now under development. Listed below are some resources for information on weather radars. The list of commercial vendors does not necessarily represent official endorsement by the NWA.

OFCM Report on Phased Array Radars

General Information on WSR-88D Radars