Real-time estimation of the vertical profile of radar reflectivity to improve the measurement of precipitation in an Alpine region

Over the years much research has been directed towards exploring the potential of radar as an instrument for estimating rain. It is shown that with the present reflectivity measuring radar, good qualitative and in certain conditions even quantitative information may be obtained in an Alpine country. In other words, we would need an extremely dense and costly network of gauges to obtain a spatial resolution easily attainable with radar.