The WegenerNet 3D weather and climate research facility: A unique open-air laboratory for high-resolution precipitation studies

The WegenerNet Feldbach Region is a unique weather and climate observation facility
comprising 155 meteorological stations measuring temperature, humidity, precipitation,
and other parameters, in a tightly spaced grid within a core area of 22 km × 16 km
centered near the city of Feldbach (46.93°N, 15.90°E).
With its stations every about two square-km (area of about 300 square-km in total),
and each station with 5-min time sampling, the network provides regular measurements
since January 2007. In 2020, the station network will be expanded by three major
new components, converting it from a 2D ground station network into a 3D open-air
laboratory for weather and climate research at very high resolution.
The following new observing components will start operations by spring 2020:

1. A polarimetric X-band Doppler weather radar for studying precipitation parame-
   ters in the troposphere above the ground network, such as rain rate, hydrometeor
   classification, Doppler velocity, and approximate drop size and number. It can
   provide 3D volume data (at about 1 km × 1 km horizontal and 500 m vertical res-
   olution, and 5-min time sampling) for moderate to strong precipitation. Together
   with the dense ground network this allows detailed studies of heavy precipitation
   events at high accuracy.
2. An azimuth-steerable microwave/IR radiometer for vertical profiling of temperature,
   humidity, and cloud liquid water in the troposphere (with 200 m to 1 km vertical
   resolution, and 5-min time sampling), also capable of measuring integrated water
   vapor (IWV) along line-of-sight paths towards Global Navigation Satellite System
   (GNSS) satellites.
3. A water vapor mapping high-resolution GNSS station network, named GNSS StarNet,
   comprising six ground stations, spatially forming two star-shaped subnets (one
   with ∼10 km interstation distance, and one embedded with ∼5 km distance), for
   providing slant IWV, vertical IWV, and precipitable water, among other parame-
   ters, at 5-min time sampling.

We will present a detailed overview of the new components, their location, specifica-
tion, and output data products.