During the afternoon and evening, a storm formed across Rhode Island and eastern Massachusetts. 7-8, 2012, NWS meteorologists at the Boston forecast office relied on dual-pol radar information to help locate the rain/snow line as a nor’easter traversed the area. On the same day, dual-pol information helped the Jackson forecasters recognize thunderstorms with particularly heavy rainfall rates, enabling them to issue flash flood warnings more than an hour before flash flooding started.ĭual-pol technology can also identify non-weather targets such as bugs, bats or debris from a tornado producing damage on the ground. 10, 2013, NWS weather forecasters in Jackson, Miss., used the new radar technology to confirm a powerful tornado (EF-4) was moving across Southern Mississippi’s Lamar County toward the populated city of Hattiesburg. Forecasters warned the public using detailed, descriptive language about the tornado’s size and path, resulting in no fatalities. 2011 and the public has been benefiting from the new technology every day since. The nationwide dual-pol upgrade began in Sept. Forecasters now have more confidence to accurately assess weather events and be more descriptive in weather warnings, which helps improve public response to the warnings. The National Weather Service has used dual-pol to develop 14 new radar products that have improved the speed, understanding, and accuracy of the information it provides about extreme weather. The new technology has also been used to help detect hazards to aircraft, such as volcanic ash plumes, icing conditions and birds.ĭual-polarization is the most significant enhancement made to the nation’s Next Generation Weather Radar network, NEXRAD, since Doppler radar was first installed in the early 1990s. Dual-pol can also spot airborne debris giving forecasters the ability to confirm a tornado on the ground, even in the dark or when hidden by heavy rain. During winter storms, forecasters use dual-pol information to monitor a transition from snow to sleet and freezing rain, which allows for a more accurate forecast. This game-changing technology has already helped forecasters issue more accurate and timely warnings to the public and has saved lives.”ĭual-pol is credited with providing improved detection of heavy rainfall, which can increase warning time for flash floods. “It is amazing what we can see with dual-pol technology. Louis Uccellini, director, NOAA’s National Weather Service.
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“This achievement is the result of years of research, development and continued investment that’s helping us become a more weather-ready nation,” said Dr. Dual-pol data shows what type of precipitation is falling based on its shape.