US Weather Service Radar Upgrades?

Good question. I don't think it have any impact on us as pilots for planning purposes. That is just an opinion.
 
scottd said:
You must have missed it. See this thread. I described the dual-pol upgrade in this IFR magazine article from 2008.



You should not see any differences per se. The new products that will be leveraged by the dual-pol upgrades are not being made available as of yet. For now, you'll still get the same 0.5 degree base reflectivity and composite reflectivity images/loops.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the explanation and link.
 
main advantages will be (according to Nat'l Severe Storms Lab in Norman, OK):

Meteorologists:

  • Polarimetric radar can significantly improve the accuracy of the estimates of amounts of precipitation
  • Polarimetric radar can tell the difference between very heavy rain and hail, which will improve flash flood watches and warnings
  • Polarimetric radar can identify types of precipitation in winter weather forecasts, improving forecasts of liquid water equivalent or snow depth
  • Polarimetric radar data is more accurate than conventional radar, saving the forecasters the step of having to verify radar data
  • Increased confidence in polarimetric radar data can contribute to increased lead time in flash flood and winter weather hazard warnings.
Hydrologists:

  • Polarimetric radar provides critical rainfall estimation information for stream flow forecasts and river flooding
  • Polarimetric radar could be useful in water management
Aviation users:

  • Polarimetric radar detects aviation hazards such as birds
  • Polarimetric radar can detect aircraft icing conditions
 
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