NOAA Next Generation Radar (NEXRAD) Level 2 Base Data

Description

This dataset consists of Level II weather radar data collected from Next-Generation Radar (NEXRAD) stations located in the contiguous United States, Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. territories and at military base sites. NEXRAD is a network of 160 high-resolution Doppler weather radars operated by the NOAA National Weather Service (NWS), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the U.S. Air Force (USAF). Doppler radars detect atmospheric precipitation and winds, which allow scientists to track and anticipate weather events, such as rain, ice pellets, snow, hail, and tornadoes, as well as some non-weather objects like birds and insects. NEXRAD stations use the Weather Surveillance Radar - 1988, Doppler (WSR-88D) system. This is a 10 cm wavelength (S-Band) radar that operates at a frequency between 2,700 and 3,000 MHz. The radar system operates in two basic modes: a slow-scanning Clear Air Mode (Mode B) for analyzing air movements when there is little or no precipitation activity in the area, and a Precipitation Mode (Mode A) with a faster scan for tracking active weather. The two modes employ nine Volume Coverage Patterns (VCPs) to adequately sample the atmosphere based on weather conditions. A VCP is a series of 360 degree sweeps of the antenna at pre-determined elevation angles and pulse repetition frequencies completed in a specified period of time. The radar scan times 4.5, 5, 6 or 10 minutes depending on the selected VCP. The NEXRAD products are divided into multiple data processing levels. The lower Level II data contain the three meteorological base data quantities at original resolution: reflectivity, mean radial velocity, and spectrum width. With the advent of dual polarization beginning in 2011, additional base products of differential reflectivity, correlation coefficient and differential phase are available. Level II data are recorded at all NWS and most USAF and FAA WSR-88D sites. From the Level II quantities, computer processing generates numerous meteorological analysis Level 3 products. NEXRAD data are acquired by the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) for archiving and dissemination to users. Data coverage varies by station and ranges from June 1991 to 1 day from present. Most stations began observing in the mid-1990s, and most period of records are continuous.

Resources

Name Format Description Link
0 Landing page for the dataset. https://doi.org/10.7289/V5W9574V
0 Informational resources for NEXRAD Radar Data. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/radar/next-generation-weather-radar
0 Search the data archive to submit an order via the interface or download files if available. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/search/data-search/weather-radar-level-ii
0 Amazon documentation for accessing the complete NEXRAD Level 2 archive on AWS S3 cloud storage. https://registry.opendata.aws/noaa-nexrad/
21 Browse the NEXRAD Level 2 archive via the AWS S3 Explorer. https://unidata-nexrad-level2.s3.amazonaws.com/index.html
0 Dynamic GIS mapping application to locate stations and data for selected layers. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/maps/radar/
0 Search for radar data and estimated VCP mode by station ID, location, and date via a text-based interface. https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/nexradinv/
23 ArcGIS Server REST API for the dataset. https://gis.ncdc.noaa.gov/arcgis/rest/services/cdo/nexrad/MapServer
52 Web Map Service for the dataset. https://gis.ncdc.noaa.gov/arcgis/services/cdo/nexrad/MapServer/WMSServer?request=GetCapabilities&service=WMS
51 Web Feature Service for the dataset. https://gis.ncdc.noaa.gov/arcgis/services/cdo/nexrad/MapServer/WFSServer?request=GetCapabilities&service=WFS
25 Direct download link for KMZ file. https://gis.ncdc.noaa.gov/kml/nexrad.kmz
0 Information on free visualization, analysis, and decoding tools for the radar data format. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/radar/radar-display-conversion-tools
0 NCEI home page with information, data access and contact information. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov
0 The information provided on this page seeks to define how the GCMD Keywords are structured, used and accessed. It also provides information on how users can participate in the further development of the keywords. https://earthdata.nasa.gov/about/gcmd/global-change-master-directory-gcmd-keywords
0 The information provided on this page seeks to define how the GCMD Keywords are structured, used and accessed. It also provides information on how users can participate in the further development of the keywords. https://earthdata.nasa.gov/about/gcmd/global-change-master-directory-gcmd-keywords
0 The information provided on this page seeks to define how the GCMD Keywords are structured, used and accessed. It also provides information on how users can participate in the further development of the keywords. https://earthdata.nasa.gov/about/gcmd/global-change-master-directory-gcmd-keywords
0 The information provided on this page seeks to define how the GCMD Keywords are structured, used and accessed. It also provides information on how users can participate in the further development of the keywords. https://earthdata.nasa.gov/about/gcmd/global-change-master-directory-gcmd-keywords
0 The information provided on this page seeks to define how the GCMD Keywords are structured, used and accessed. It also provides information on how users can participate in the further development of the keywords. https://earthdata.nasa.gov/about/gcmd/global-change-master-directory-gcmd-keywords
0 The information provided on this page seeks to define how the GCMD Keywords are structured, used and accessed. It also provides information on how users can participate in the further development of the keywords. https://earthdata.nasa.gov/about/gcmd/global-change-master-directory-gcmd-keywords
0 The information provided on this page seeks to define how the GCMD Keywords are structured, used and accessed. It also provides information on how users can participate in the further development of the keywords. https://earthdata.nasa.gov/about/gcmd/global-change-master-directory-gcmd-keywords
0 Report documenting the Scientific Data Stewardship Maturity for this dataset. https://doi.org/10.25923/b0k6-8z36
0 The Interface Control Documents (ICDs) describe the data format specification for multiple WSR-88D Build Versions. https://www.roc.noaa.gov/WSR88D/BuildInfo/Files.aspx
21 The Handbook defines standardized data management practices. https://www.icams-portal.gov/resources/ofcm/fmh/allfmh2.htm
0 AMS Journal Publication. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0477%281993%29074%3C1669%3ATWATWO%3E2.0.CO%3B2
0 AMS Journal Publication. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0434%281998%29013%3C0219%3AHOOUOW%3E2.0.CO%3B2
0 AMS Journal Publication. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0434%281998%29013%3C0244%3AHOOUOW%3E2.0.CO%3B2
0 Information on the NOAA Big Data Project and its collaborators. https://data-alliance.noaa.gov/

Tags

  • yellow sea
  • vertical location
  • united states of america
  • weather stations/networks
  • western pacific ocean
  • sar
  • spectrum width
  • land surface
  • north pacific ocean
  • northern hemisphere
  • national climatic data center
  • nesdis
  • doppler velocity
  • east china sea
  • okinawa
  • continent
  • noaa
  • guam
  • radar sounders
  • caribbean sea
  • azores
  • eastern asia
  • troposphere
  • north america
  • noaa onestop project
  • sensor characteristics
  • weather stations
  • atlantic ocean
  • gulf of alaska
  • gulf of mexico
  • u.s. department of commerce
  • profilers/sounders
  • earth science
  • nexrad
  • geographic region
  • ocean
  • hawaiian islands
  • doc/noaa/nesdis/ncei
  • doc/noaa/nws/roc
  • radar
  • national weather service
  • asia
  • kiribati
  • south korea
  • radar reflectivity
  • central pacific ocean
  • mid-latitude
  • radar operations center
  • doc/noaa/nesdis/ncdc
  • boundary layer
  • doppler radar
  • spectral/engineering
  • puerto rico
  • bering sea
  • in situ land-based platforms
  • next generation radar
  • north atlantic ocean
  • pacific ocean
  • viewing geometry
  • earth remote sensing instruments
  • active remote sensing
  • national centers for environmental information

Topics

Categories