KIND NEXRAD IMPACTS: Winter Snowstorm Radar Data

Thirty-one NEXRAD sites across the United States collected this Level II weather radar data from January 1 to March 1, 2020. It is part of the three-year IMPACTS field campaign studying snowband formation and microphysics along the U.S. Atlantic Coast. The dataset contains dual-polarization base data quantities, including radar reflectivity, radial velocity, and differential reflectivity, stored in netCDF-4 format.

Use Cases

• Analyzing snowband formation mechanisms based on radar reflectivity and velocity data.
• Studying snow particle microphysics and growth using dual-polarization variables like differential reflectivity.
• Improving snowfall remote sensing interpretation and numerical weather prediction models with high-resolution radar observations.
• Conducting spatiotemporal analysis of winter storm evolution across the U.S. Atlantic Coast.

Strengths

• Data originates from a focused, multi-year NASA field campaign (IMPACTS) with specific scientific objectives.
• Includes observations from 31 distinct NEXRAD radar sites, providing spatial coverage.
• Contains detailed dual-polarization base data quantities, which are essential for advanced meteorological analysis.

Limitations

• Metadata completeness is low; specific column names, row counts, and file sizes are not provided.
• There is a conflict in reported 'last updated' dates between platforms (2020-03-01 vs. 2026-04-10), creating uncertainty about data currency.
• The license is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' without explicit terms.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Collected via Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD) Level II surveillance systems at fixed sites.

Time Range

2020-01-01 to 2020-03-01

Freshness

2026-04-10 01:59:35.990232

Geography

United States Atlantic Coast, from 31 NEXRAD sites