KOKX NEXRAD IMPACTS: Winter Snowstorm Radar Data

Thirty-one NEXRAD sites along the U.S. Atlantic Coast collected Level II radar data from January 1 to March 1, 2020, as part of the IMPACTS field campaign. The dataset contains meteorological and dual-polarization base data quantities, including radar reflectivity, radial velocity, and differential phase. Its primary purpose is to study the formation and evolution of snowbands to improve snowfall prediction models.

Use Cases

• Analyzing snowband formation and evolution based on radar reflectivity and velocity data.
• Studying snow particle microphysics and growth mechanisms using dual-polarization variables like differential reflectivity.
• Improving snowfall remote sensing interpretation and numerical weather prediction models with calibrated radar observations.
• Conducting case studies of specific Atlantic Coast snowstorms during the 2020 winter season.

Strengths

• Data originates from a coordinated, three-year NASA field campaign (IMPACTS) with specific scientific objectives.
• Includes dual-polarization radar variables from 31 operational NEXRAD sites, providing spatial coverage of the study region.
• Data is provided in the structured, self-describing netCDF-4 format, which is standard for scientific data.

Limitations

• Metadata completeness is low: column names, row counts, and exact file sizes are not provided on any platform.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates (2020-03-01 vs. 2026-04-10) create uncertainty about the dataset's current state and update schedule.
• The license is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' without providing the specific terms.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Collected via the network of 160 Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) or NEXRAD sites.

Time Range

2020-01-01 to 2020-03-01

Freshness

2026-04-10 01:59:22.680427

Geography

U.S. Atlantic Coast, from 31 NEXRAD radar sites.