Add NEXRAD Support

[mgrover1]

Description

Add a backend for NEXRAD level 2 and level 3 files

What We Want to Do

NEXRAD data is heavily used within the radar community, and it would be helpful to have a reader for this data in xradar.

Py-ART has readers for this, including the

• ENH: Add a NEXRAD Level2 Reader #160
• NEXRAD Level 3 Reader

@jthielen mentioned he would be interested in helping with this (see #27)... others can help too!

[jthielen]

@jthielen mentioned they would be interested in helping with this (see #27)... others can help too!

Yes indeed! I still hope to get around to implementing the Level 2 reader, but if someone beats me to it, that'd work too! Also, I wouldn't have need for the Level 3 reader in my own work, so I will refrain from taking on that one.

[mgrover1]

@jthielen any updates here? If not, I can go ahead and start drafting something

[jthielen]

@jthielen any updates here? If not, I can go ahead and start drafting something

Thanks for the ping! My work on this has unfortunately stalled recently due a few other things taking higher priority, but I can least share what I've got so far: https://github.com/jthielen/xradar/tree/nexrad-level2. Currently, a majority (but certainly not all) of the file reader is implemented (what remains has TODO comments), whereas the backend entrypoint isn't (but should be much easier than the file reader to code). Feel free to take what I have as a starting point to build off of if you'd want this to progress sooner rather than later, otherwise, I believe I should have the chance to return to this in mid-March.

[mgrover1]

No worries @jthielen - thank you for the quick response. I totally understand!

I will take a look at the progress you have made so far!