Rain retrieval from dual-frequency radar Doppler spectra: validation and potential for a midlatitude precipitating case-study

A recently developed technique retrieving the binned raindrop size distributions (DSDs) and air state parameters from ground-based Ka and W-band radars Doppler spectra profiles is improved and applied to a typical midlatitude rain event. The retrievals are thoroughly validated against DSD observations of a 2D video disdrometer and independent X-band observations. For this case-study, profiles of rain rate, R, mean volume diameter and concentration parameter are retrieved, with low bias and standard deviations. In light rain (0.1 < R < 1 mm h−1), the radar reflectivities must be calibrated with a collocated disdrometer which introduces random errors due to sampling mismatch between the two instruments. The best performances are obtained in moderate rain (1 < R < 20 mm h−1) where the retrieval is providing self-consistent estimates of the absolute calibration and of the attenuation caused by antenna or radome wetness for both radars.