| 10 Apr 2026
disdrodb: an open-source Python package for standardized processing, sharing, and analysis of disdrometer data
Abstract. Disdrometers are specialized sensors designed to measure key properties of falling hydrometeors. Their observations are essential for characterizing precipitation particle size distributions (PSDs) and support a wide range of applications, including precipitation microphysics research, the development and evaluation of remote-sensing precipitation retrievals, and the modelling of microwave signal propagation through the atmosphere for telecommunication systems. However, the broader use of disdrometer data is hindered by limited access to existing datasets, heterogeneous raw data formats, and the lack of standardized, reproducible processing workflows.
This article presents the DISDRODB infrastructure and the associated open-source Python package disdrodb, a community framework for standardized sharing, processing, and analysis of disdrometer data. DISDRODB combines a centralized metadata archive with a decentralized data-sharing model, allowing institutions to retain control of raw data while making their datasets globally discoverable and straightforward for users to access and download through a common interface. The disdrodb software converts heterogeneous raw measurements into analysis-ready products through a modular three-level pipeline: L0 for standardized ingestion and formatting into netCDF4, L1 for temporal resampling, quality control, and hydrometeor/precipitation-type classification, and L2 for derivation of PSD integral parameters, parametric PSD model fitting, and simulation of polarimetric radar variables at multiple frequencies.
The framework provides a transparent, configurable, and reproducible open-source workflow for disdrometer data processing, with scalable execution from local environments to distributed computing systems. It also supports automatic generation of summary diagnostics for scientific analysis and is built on a modular, flexible architecture designed for community-driven extensions.
DISDRODB lowers barriers to both data access and analysis by enabling straightforward discovery and download of disdrometer datasets alongside reproducible processing workflows, thereby supporting large-sample studies of PSD variability, improved disdrometer intercomparison, and broader use of disdrometer observations in atmospheric science and remote sensing.
Competing interests: At least one of the (co-)authors is a member of the editorial board of Atmospheric Measurement Techniques.
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