Observability of Microbursts with Doppler Weather Radar during 1986 in Huntsville, AL

摘要

The report investigates the observability of low-level wind shear events using Doppler weather radar through a comparison of radar and surface wind sensor data. The data was collected during 1986 in the Huntsville, AL area as part of the FAA Terminal Doppler Weather Radar (TDWR) development program. Radar data were collected by both an S-band radar (FL-2) and C-band radar (UND). Surface data were collected by a network of 77 weather sensors covering an area of nearly 1000 square km centered approximately 15 km to the northwest of the FL-2 radar site. The UND site was located at the approximate center of the surface sensor network. A list of 131 microbursts which impacted the surface sensor network is presented. Particular emphasis is on the 107 events for which both radar data and surface data were available.