Enhancement of airborne weather radar performance using external weather data

A weather radar system, comprising:

• a communications system including a transmitter-receiver configured to receive first weather data indicative of a characteristic of a first weather condition from an external location;
• and
• a processor comprising a control module coupled with the communications system and configured to:
• determine an operational parameter of an onboard weather radar system based on the characteristic of the first weather condition;
• control operation of the onboard weather radar system based on the determined operational parameter by controlling a radar scanning operation of the onboard weather radar system to acquire second weather data, wherein the determined operational parameter comprises a plurality of areas where storms are not likely to arise based on a threshold convective likelihood value, and wherein the control module is further configured to control operation of the onboard weather radar system to decrease a number of scans directed to the plurality of areas where storms are not likely to arise;
• and
• transmit, by the transmitter-receiver, the second weather data to an external weather radar system.