Articles | Volume 15, issue 18
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-5515-2022
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-5515-2022
Research article
 | 
28 Sep 2022
Research article |  | 28 Sep 2022

Image muting of mixed precipitation to improve identification of regions of heavy snow in radar data

Laura M. Tomkins, Sandra E. Yuter, Matthew A. Miller, and Luke R. Allen

Data sets

NOAA Next Generation Radar (NEXRAD) Level 2 Base Data (https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/radar/next-generation-weather-radar) NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) Radar Operations Center https://doi.org/10.7289/V5W9574V

Investigation of Microphysics and Precipitation for Atlantic Coast-Threatening Snowstorms (IMPACTS) Collection (http://ghrc.nsstc.nasa.gov/) L. A. McMurdie, G. Heymsfield, J. E. Yorks, and S. A. Braun https://doi.org/10.5067/IMPACTS/DATA101

ERA5 hourly data on pressure levels from 1959 to present H. Hersbach, B. Bell, P. Berrisford, G. Biavati, A. Horányi, J. Muñoz Sabater, J. Nicolas, C. Peubey, R. Radu, I. Rozum, D. Schepers, A. Simmons, C. Soci, D. Dee, and J.-N. Thépaut https://doi.org/10.24381/cds.bd0915c6

Model code and software

The Python ARM Radar Toolkit (Py-ART), a library for working with weather radar data in the Python programming language Jonathan J. Helmus and Scott M. Collis https://doi.org/10.5334/jors.119

Video supplement

Figures for Image Muting of Mixed Precipitation to Improve Identification of Regions of Heavy Snow in Radar Data Laura Tomkins https://av.tib.eu/series/1228

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Short summary
Locally higher radar reflectivity values in winter storms can mean more snowfall or a transition from snow to mixtures of snow, partially melted snow, and/or rain. We use the correlation coefficient to de-emphasize regions of mixed precipitation. Visual muting is valuable for analyzing and monitoring evolving weather conditions during winter storm events.