Updates on the Radar Data Quality Control in the MRMS Quantitative Precipitation Estimation System

Abstract

The Multi-Radar-Multi-Sensor (MRMS) system was transitioned into operations at the National Centers for Environmental Prediction in the fall of 2014. It provides high-quality and high-resolution severe weather and precipitation products for meteorology, hydrology, and aviation applications. Among processing modules, the radar data quality control (QC) plays a critical role in effectively identifying and removing various nonhydrometeor radar echoes for accurate quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE). Since its initial implementation in 2014, the radar QC has undergone continuous refinements and enhancements to ensure its robust performance across seasons and all regions in the continental United States and southern Canada. These updates include 1) improved melting-layer delineation, 2) clearance of wind farm contamination, 3) mitigation of corrupt data impacts due to hardware issues, 4) mitigation of sun spikes, and 5) mitigation of residual ground/lake/sea clutter due to sidelobe effects and anomalous propagation. This paper provides an overview of the MRMS radar data QC enhancements since 2014.