Overview

The FAA NEXRAD Program office has expressed a desire for an Icing Hazard Level (IHL) product, based upon the dual–polarization upgrade planned for the NEXRAD facilities. This is part of an overall effort to identify, develop and deploy algorithms identifying hazardous weather to aviation. MIT LL is coordinating this effort, and the funding will flow from FAA through MIT LL to NCAR.

At this point, the dual–polarization NEXRAD upgrade looks promising for continuing icing detection work done by the IFIPDT in the past. This IHL project will develop an algorithm to identify and categorize inflight icing conditions in real time based on NEXRAD measurements and NWS AWIPS T/RH. Additionally, supporting components from prior and on–going research efforts may become modules within the algorithm. The initial experimental version of this algorithm will be delivered to MIT LL in early July 2010. During a suggested 6–mo follow–on, NCAR will harden the initial version and deliver an implementable experimental version to MIT LL.