NEXRAD

NEXRAD
NEXRAD Radar near La Crosse, Wisconsin
Country of originUnited States
Introduced1988 (1988)
No. built159 in the US, Puerto Rico and Guam plus an additional 3 WSR-88Ds, one in Japan and two in South Korea that are not included in the network
TypeWeather radar
Frequency2,700 to 3,000 MHz (S band)
PRF320 to 1,300 Hz (according to VCP)
Beamwidth0.96° with 2.7 GHz
0.88° with 3.0 GHz
Pulsewidth1.57 to 4.57 μs (according to VCP)
RPM3
Range460 km for reflectivity
230 km for Doppler velocity
Diameter8.54 m (28.0 ft)
Azimuth0 to 360º
Elevation-1° to +20° (operations)
up to +60° (test)
Power750 KW
Other NamesWSR-88D

NEXRAD or Nexrad (Next-Generation Radar) is a network of 159 high-resolution S-band Doppler weather radars operated by the National Weather Service (NWS), an agency of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) within the United States Department of Commerce, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) within the Department of Transportation, and the U.S. Air Force within the Department of Defense. Its technical name is WSR-88D (Weather Surveillance Radar, 1988, Doppler).

NEXRAD detects precipitation and atmospheric movement or wind. It returns data which when processed can be displayed in a mosaic map which shows patterns of precipitation and its movement. The radar system operates in two basic modes, selectable by the operator – a slow-scanning clear-air mode for analyzing air movements when there is little or no activity in the area, and a precipitation mode, with a faster scan for tracking active weather. NEXRAD has an increased emphasis on automation, including the use of algorithms and automated volume scans.