Definition
A network of high-resolution Doppler weather radars operated by the National Weather Service, FAA, and Department of Defense that detects precipitation, storm structure, and wind motion within precipitation. Its data feeds the weather products pilots see in flight planning tools, ForeFlight, ADS-B weather (FIS-B), and many cockpit displays.
Plain English
A nationwide system of powerful weather radars that tracks rain, snow, and storms and feeds the weather pictures pilots use before and during a flight.
Context Anchor
Seen in aviation weather products, cockpit weather displays, flight planning tools, and some weather-related notices or abbreviations.
Derivation
Short for Next Generation Radar. The 'NX' stands for 'next' and 'RD' for 'radar.' The name reflects that this network replaced the older WSR-57 and WSR-74 radars in the 1990s.
Why Pilots Care
Helps pilots avoid turbulence, icing, and dangerous storm cells by giving real-time visual weather information.
Intuition Check
Do not assume NXRD weather is instant or exact in the cockpit. It may be delayed, so use it for planning and broad avoidance, not for squeezing close to storms.
Example Sentence 1
Before departure, the pilot checked NXRD imagery and saw a line of thunderstorms moving across the planned route.
Example Sentence 2
NXRD returns are updated every few minutes, giving the crew current storm positions during cruise.