The U.S. Doppler weather radar network that includes WSR-88D radars is NEXRAD.
NEXRAD stands for Next-Generation Radar and is the national network of high-resolution Doppler weather radars operated primarily by the National Weather Service, with participation from the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Air Force. The technical designation of the radars is WSR-88D, meaning Weather Surveillance Radar, 1988, Doppler.
NEXRAD detects precipitation and wind motion, allowing meteorologists to identify storm structure, rotation, hail, heavy rain, and other severe-weather signals. Its data can be displayed as individual radar products or combined into nationwide mosaics. The network operates in both clear-air and precipitation modes, with scanning strategies adjusted to atmospheric conditions.
The first operational WSR-88D was installed at Sterling, Virginia, in 1992, and the original nationwide deployment was completed in 1997. AWIPS is not the radar network; it is the information-processing and display system forecasters use to view radar and other data. TDWR is a separate terminal-area radar system, while GOES-R refers to a series of geostationary weather satellites.