Results from the Hazardous Weather Testbed: What do Forecasters Think About Dual-Polarization Phased Array Radar?

The current National Weather Service (NWS) operational radar network has provided high-quality data for decades. As the need to replace this radar network increases, the NWS is currently assessing options for the next operational radar network. However, there is a need for information, including feedback from the NWS forecasters who use the data on a day-to-day basis, to select the best possible replacement option. One potential option is phased array radars (PAR). Therefore, researchers at the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) are conducting Hazardous Weather Testbed (HWT) activities with NWS forecasters to gather their feedback on PAR and the current operational network of dish-based radars, known as the Weather Surveillance 1988-Doppler (WSR-88D) radars.