Components

Radar Network. We plan to operate an 8-node, multi-Doppler, dual-polarimetric, X-band radar network covering 12 out of the 16 counties in the Metroplex, and the majority of the 6.5 million people in the region.  Lowest beam coverage is planned at an average 270 m AGL (ranging from 100 - 500 m) with 100 m gate spacing. The first four CASA radars were moved from Oklahoma to Texas and have been refurbished. Four additional radars have been supplied by CASA's university and industry partners. Radars have been installed at the University of Texas at Arlington, University of North Texas, the Justice Center at Midlothian, the Addison Service Center, the Johnson County Emergency Operations Center in Cleburne, Mesquite Airport and at a City of Fort Worth owned site.    

    Midlothian                                             University of North Texas                        Fort Worth  

  University of Texas at Arlington                                      Addison                                  Johnson County

Click links above to see individual pictures taken during the installation process.

Network of Network Sensors.  CASA will take advantage of existing sensors, such as WSR-88D, TDWR and rain gages for creating new products and for validation purposes. In addition, as a result of the network, we expect additional private, federal, state and academic organizations to integrate additional sensors into the test bed. These include a set of wideband high dynamic range barometers built by Paroscientific, Inc. for sensing both nearby and distant infrasound signals,  wind profilers, doppler lidars and other sensors as well. We expect this project to serve as a prototype for a national-scale "network-of-networks" that enables a future in which a multitude of users and data providers exchange observational data across a common infrastructure.

MIRSL Phase Tilt Weather Radar        Earth Networks supplied radiometers      WeatherFlow supplied SODARs

IT infrastructure. IT infrastructure for data mining, radar control, and data dissemination is housed at NWS Southern Region Headquarters (SRH). SRH has provided a T3 line into the Fort Worth Dallas Weather Forecast Office to ensure data flow, assist with integrating CASA data into AWIPS2, and create web-based interfaces that would allow research in on-demand forecasts/nowcasts, and experimental product display.  In addition, the University of Oklahoma has provided supercomputer time to run assimilation and numerical weather prediction algorithms. 

Products. CASA offers a suite of high-resolution products to DFW stakeholders, the National Weather Service, for research and to demonstrate that value of the data to stakeholder groups.   These products include real-time detections of severe wind events, hail, and tornados; accurate rainfall estimates; and forecasts ranging from 10 minutes to 3 hours.

CASA radar data is available to registered participants through the CASA WX website. Current participants include local North Central Texas public safety officials, storm water managers, local airlines and airports, utility companies, and to non-profits such as the Salvation Army. CASA radar data is integrated directly into the AWIPS-2 workstation used by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Fort Worth. This allows for easy, real-time interrogation of the data by NWS meteorologists and issuance of weather watches and warnings.