The Current ,
Radar map shows areas of current
precipitation. A
weather radar is used to locate
precipitation, calculate its motion,
estimate its type (rain, snow, hail, etc.), and
forecast its future position and intensity. Modern
weather radars are mostly doppler radars, capable of detecting the motion of
rain droplets in addition to intensity of the
precipitation. Both types of data can be analyzed to determine the structure of
storms and their potential to cause
severe weather.
Precipitation type is indicated by the color - green is
rain, pink is a
mix of rain,
freezing rain,
sleet, and/or
snow, and blue is
snow. .
Digital radar systems now have capabilities far beyond what their predecessors only dreamed of. Digital systems now offer
storm tracking surveillance. This provides users with the ability to acquire detailed information of each
storm being tracked.
Storms are first identified by the
radar by matching the raw data received from the radar pulse to some sort of template, preprogrammed into the system. Once the
storm is identified; speed, distance covered, direction, and Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) of the
storm are all tracked and recorded into a memory location of the radar in order to be utilized later. In order for a
storm to be identified it would have to meet the definitions of a storm, as programed by the manufacturer. Otherwise, any cloud could be mistaken for a
storm. Usually the
storm must show signs of organization. The
storm must have a core or a more intense center to be identified and tracked by digital
radar tracking systems.