RaXPol IMPACTS: Polarimetric Radar Observations of Atlantic Coast Snowstorms

From January 29, 2022, through January 25, 2023, this dataset contains polarimetric radar measurements from the Rapid X-band Polarimetric Radar (RaXPol) instrument. It was collected during the IMPACTS field campaign, a three-year study of snowstorms threatening the U.S. Atlantic coast. The data, stored in netCDF-4 format, are intended to improve understanding of snowband formation, microphysics, and remote sensing for snowfall prediction.

Use Cases

• Analyzing snowband formation and evolution based on radar reflectivity variables.
• Examining snow particle microphysics and growth mechanisms using polarimetric radar data.
• Improving snowfall remote sensing algorithms and numerical weather prediction models.
• Studying the organization of winter precipitation systems along the U.S. Atlantic coast.

Strengths

• Data originates from a targeted, multi-year NASA field campaign (IMPACTS) with defined scientific objectives.
• Provides a continuous, nearly one-year time series of high-resolution polarimetric radar observations.
• Available in the standardized, self-describing netCDF-4 format, which supports geospatial and temporal metadata.

Limitations

• Column names and specific variable details are not provided in the available metadata.
• The exact data volume (size, row count) is unknown, complicating download and storage planning.
• A conflict exists in metadata freshness, with one source showing a last update date far in the future (2026).

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Measured by the Rapid X-band Polarimetric Radar (RaXPol) instrument during the IMPACTS field campaign.

Time Range

January 29, 2022 to January 25, 2023

Freshness

Last updated dates conflict between sources (2023-01-25 and 2026-04 09); the 2023 date is more plausible for data collection ending in January 2023.

Geography

U.S. Atlantic coast region, focused on areas impacted by threatening snowstorms.