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[IDD #TUI-865559]: Alaska Level 2 radar data

HI Cory,

re:
> I am trying to find Level 2 radar data from the Alaska NEXRAD sites on
> the LDM (in RAL) and am not having any luck.  I have a hunch that these
> products are not available but I'm not sure if they can be added or if
> there is another source.  Any help you can give me would be appreciated.

It appears that the NEXRAD Level 2 data for Alaska is not (yet) available
in the IDD NEXRAD2 data feed.  I am guessing that the reason for these
data not being in the feed are that they are FAA stations, not NWS ones.

re:
> When we search through the LDM data feed and logs we can find Level 2
> data for all of the CONUS and Hawaii NEXRAD sites but there is nothing
> for Alaska.  There is Level 3 Alaska data, but I would like to be able
> to get Level 2 from there if possible.  I'm wondering if you can give me
> answers to the following questions.
> 
> 1. Does Level 2 NEXRAD data for the Alaska sites exist?

I believe that they exists.

re:
> 2. Is there a way to get it through the LDM?

Not that I know of. The content of the IDD NEXRAD2 data feed is controlled
by the NWS, not by Unidata, so we do not, unfortunately, have the power to
get the Alaska NEXRAD Level II data added to the feed.  I seem to recall that
this _is_ on the list of things to be added to the feed, but don't quote
me :-)

re:
> 3. If the answer to #2 is no then do you know of another source for
> these data?

It seems like NCDC should be archiving the Level 2 data from U.S. NEXRADs,
but I am not 100% sure that this is the case for _all_ NEXRADs.  A quick
search of the NCDC site shows that Level 2 data is available for at least
some Alaskan NEXRADs for some periods of time:

NCDC: Radar Data
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/radar/radardata.html

  Download Data From NCDC Archive
  http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/radar/radardata.html#DOWNLOAD

    NEXRAD Inventory Search
    http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/nexradinv/

Click on a NEXRAD in Alaska.  For example, PAGC (Sitka, AK)
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/nexradinv/chooseday.jsp?id=pacg

Notice that the 'Period of Record' for PAGC is:

Level-II: 05/14/1997 to 04/09/1999
Level-III: 05/01/2001 to 07/15/2012

The other NEXRAD stations I see in Alaska and their Periods of Record are:

PAIH - Middleton IS - Level-II: 03/08/1997 to 11/02/1998, Level-III: 05/01/2001 
to 07/15/2012 
PAHG - Anchorage    - Level-II: 09/16/1996 to 02/18/2000, Level-III: 05/01/2001 
to 07/15/2012 
PAKC - King Salmon  - Level-II: 08/26/1996 to 04/25/1998, Level-III: 05/01/2001 
to 07/15/2012
PABC - Bethel       - Level-III: 05/01/2001 to 07/15/2012
PAEC - Nome         - Level-II: 09/12/1997 to 11/03/1997, Level-III: 05/01/2001 
to 07/09/2012
PAPD - Fairbanks    - Level-II: 12/17/1996 to 12/14/2003, Level-III: 05/01/2001 
to 07/15/2012

Evidently NCDC's archives do not include current Level 2 data for Alaskan 
NEXRADs.

As far as where else the data may be, perhaps one of the participants in the 
Unidata-operated
address@hidden email list would know of any non-NCDC archives of PAHG Level II 
data
(one list subscriber is at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks).  I suggest 
you send your
question to this list.

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to the list (this keeps out spam).  You can subscribe online at:

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re:
> My theory is that the Level 2 and 3 data both exist, but only the Level
> 3 data are distributed due to bandwidth issues.

I am thinking that the reason may have something to do with the Alaskan
NEXRADs being owned/operated by the FAA, not the NWS.  The NWS system
being used to collect and disseminate Level 2 data (which uses LDMs)
should have ample bandwidth to handle the Alaskan NEXRAD Level 2 data
in addition to the CONUS, Hawaiian and Puerto Rican data.  Then again,
the bandwidth from Alaska to the lower 48 may be prohibitive.

Cheers,

Tom
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Ticket Details
===================
Ticket ID: TUI-865559
Department: Support IDD
Priority: Normal
Status: Closed