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 January 4-15th, 2012
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As part of a nation-wide implementation, the exciting dual-polarization radar upgrade
to the KBOX WSR-88D will begin on January 4th and will last approximately
two weeks. During this installation
period, KBOX radar will be unavailable. However, neighboring radars in Upton,
NY; Albany,
NY; and Portland,
ME; will still be operational.
This much anticipated upgrade will
incorporate a new technology called dual-polarization, or dual-pol, that
is part of the NWS vision to build a weather-ready nation to better protect
lives and livelihoods. This new technology will result in 14 new
radar products that will enable us to continue providing our suite of high
quality products and services to the citizens of Southern New England.
This new technology and data primarily will help forecasters
identify the type of precipitation that is falling as well as improve
rainfall estimates.
We strongly encourage all users of these new
products to complete a series of online training modules that were recorded
by the Warning Decision Training Branch (WDTB). Modules are available
for non-NWS meteorologists and non-meteorologists through this
website.
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What is Dual-Pol?
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The current doppler
radars transmit and receive pulses of radio waves in a horizontal
orientation. As a result, the radar only measures the horizontal dimensions
of targets (e.g. cloud and precipitation droplets). Dual-polarimetric radar transmits and receives pulses in
both a horizontal and vertical orientation. Therefore, the
radar measures both the horizontal and vertical dimensions of
targets. Since the radar receives energy from horizontal and vertical
pulses, we can obtain better estimates of the size, shape, and variety of
targets. It is expected that this will result in significant
improvements in the estimation of precipitation rates, the ability to
discriminate between precipitation types (e.g. hail vs. rain), and the
identification of non-meteorological returns.
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Current NWS doppler radar
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Dual-polarimetric radar
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Benefits of Dual-Pol
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- Improved
accuracy of precipitation estimates, leading to better flash flood
detection
- Ability
to discern between heavy rain, hail, snow, and sleet
- Improved
detection of non-meteorological echoes (e.g. ground clutter, chaff,
anomalous propagation, birds, and tornado debris)
- Detection
of aircraft icing conditions
- Identification
of the melting layer (e.g. bright band)
Dual-Pol will
not improve tornado lead times or be able to provide exact
precipitation type on the ground.
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