The Hawaiian Educational Radar Opportunity (HERO)

This was the first-ever deployment of a polarimetric X-band (3 cm) research radar in Hawaii. A unique fine-resolution radar and radiosonde dataset was collected during 16 intensive observing periods through a collaborative effort between University of Hawai'i at Mānoa undergraduate and graduate students and the National Weather Service's Weather Forecast Office in Honolulu.

HERO was the field component of MET 628 "Radar Meteorology," with 12 enrolled graduate students who collected and analyzed the data as part of the course. Extensive community outreach was conducted, including participation in a School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology open house event with over 7,500 visitors from local K-12 schools and the public. An overview of the HERO project and highlights of some interesting tropical rain and cloud observations are described.