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Radar

Radar is an object detection system that uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction of movement, and speed of objects. The antenna transmits pulses of radio waves or microwaves, which bounce off any object in their path. The object returns a tiny part of the wave's energy to a dish or antenna. For more information about how radar functions, please refer to the Introduction To Doppler Radar and Radar FAQ produced by NOAA's National Weather Service.

NCEI's Radar Archive includes the Next Generation Weather Radar System (NEXRAD) and Terminal Doppler Weather Radar (TDWR) networks. The NOAA Radar Operations Center provides centralized meteorological, software, maintenance, and engineering support and documentation.

Download radar data for free from NCEI or order a hardcopy of radar maps for a small fee.

Access Tools

NEXRAD Inventory

A search and discovery hub for NEXRAD data that hosts a variety of data access tools, statistics, and documentation.

Climate Data Online

Climate Data Online (CDO) provides free access to NCEI's archive of global historical weather and climate data in addition to station history information.

Weather and Climate Data Access

The NCEI Data Access application offers a wide variety of download and subsetting options for a growing collection of environmental data.

Interactive Radar Map

The Interactive Radar Map shows supplemental data in support of NCEI's Weather Radar Archive. The tool includes several provides access 1995–present for individual or multiple stations at varying altitudes.