Use of Ground‐based Radar for Climate‐Scale Studies of Weather and Rainfall

Abstract Reflectivity data from weather radar provide information on the location and quantity of water and ice in the atmosphere at high spatial and temporal resolutions. Although the analysis of radar data facilitates spatially accurate climatologies of weather events and rainfall, relatively few studies have utilized data from the US Next Generation Radar (NEXRAD) network for climate‐scale research. Towards the goal of increasing the use of these data by geographers, this article details the collection of radar data, their limitations, and conversion into rainfall rates. Examples of climate‐scale research incorporating NEXRAD data are also presented. Although its capabilities to analyze temporal data are limited, the use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) by non‐geographers is growing. This suggests that the collaboration of geographers specializing in geospatial techniques with those pursuing research in climatology could develop new GIS‐based methods for the spatial analysis of radar data that facilitate climate‐scale research of weather patterns.