COMPREHENSIVE RADAR DATA FOR THE CONTIGUOUS UNITED STATES: MULTI-YEAR REANALYSIS OF REMOTELY SENSED STORMS

Abstract

Abstract The Multi-Year Reanalysis of Remotely Sensed Storms (MYRORSS) data set blends radar data from the WSR-88D network and Near-Storm Environmental (NSE) model analyses using the Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor (MRMS) framework. The MYRORSS data set uses the WSR-88D archive starting in 1998 through 2011, processing all valid single-radar volumes to produce a seamless three-dimensional reflectivity volume over the entire contiguous United States with an approximate 5-min update frequency. The three-dimensional grid has an approximate 1-km by 1-km horizontal dimension and is on a stretched vertical grid that extends to 20 km MSL with a maximal vertical spacing of 1 km. Several reflectivity-derived, severe storm related products are also produced, which leverage the ability to merge the MRMS and NSE data. Two Doppler velocity-derived azimuthal shear layer maximum products are produced at a higher horizontal resolution of approximately 0.5-km by 0.5-km. The initial period of record for the data set is 1998-2011. The data set underwent intensive manual quality control to ensure that all available and valid data were included while excluding highly problematic radar volumes that were a negligible percentage of the overall data set, but which caused large data errors in some cases. This data set has applications towards radar-based climatologies, post-event analysis, machine learning applications, model verification, and warning improvements. Details of the manual quality control process are included and examples of some of these applications are presented.