Science and Technology Seminar

NWS use of Terminal Doppler Weather Radar (TDWR)

Mike Istok

Systems Engineering Center

Office of Science and Technology

In response to the NWS need for increased observational data density--both spatial and temporal--to improve tornado and other severe weather warning performance, the Office of Science and Technology developed and in 2005 began limited deployment of the Terminal Weather Doppler Radar (TDWR) Supplemental Product Generator (SPG). The SPG allows data from the TDWR to be displayed and fully integrated along with WSR-88D and other weather data on the AWIPS. In the short time that the SPG has been in use, NWS Weather Forecast Offices have used TDWR data products to issue tornado and other warnings and to observe hurricanes and other significant weather.
In this seminar, we will discuss the background of the NWS TDWR data project, its status and activities, recent achievements, and plans. TDWR SPG product examples will be presented along with a discussion of the differences in radar data characteristic from the WSR-88D, and how the SPG generates and distributes products to AWIPS.

January 18, 2006

2:00 - 3:00 P.M.

SSMC#2, Room 2358

(Contact: Bob Glahn at (301) 713-1768)