NEXRAD Radar Data for Atlantic Coast Snowstorm Research

Thirty-one NEXRAD radar sites collected Level II surveillance data along the U.S. Atlantic Coast from January 1 to March 1, 2020. This dataset supports the IMPACTS field campaign, a three-year NASA-led study of snowband formation, microphysics, and snowfall prediction. Data files contain dual-polarization base quantities and are stored in netCDF-4 format.

Use Cases

• Analyzing snowband formation and evolution using radar reflectivity and radial velocity columns.
• Studying microphysical characteristics of snow particles via differential reflectivity and differential phase data.
• Improving snowfall remote sensing interpretation by examining cross correlation ratio and spectrum width.
• Validating and enhancing numerical weather prediction models for Atlantic Coast winter storms.

Strengths

• Data originates from 31 operational NEXRAD sites, providing wide spatial coverage for the study region.
• Contains six key dual-polarization meteorological base data quantities, enabling detailed microphysical analysis.
• Collected during a dedicated, multi-year field campaign (IMPACTS) with specific scientific objectives.

Limitations

• Exact row count and dataset size are not specified across any source.
• Sources conflict on the last updated date: one states 2026-03-13, another states 2020-03-01.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

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

Time Range

2020-01-01 to 2020-03-01

Freshness

2026-03-13 01:23:11.727470

Geography

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