What do the colors on radar mean?
Dark green= Light to moderate rain. Yellow= Moderate rain. Orange= Heavy Rain. Red= Very Heavy Rain or Rain & Hail. Purple= Extremely heavy rain or hail.
How do you read a radar map?
Read the key, usually at the top of the map, to determine what the radar colors mean. Usually, yellows and reds are more intense precipitation, while greens are less intense. Determine the direction that the storm is heading by viewing the radar in motion, which shows slides of the past several radar frames.
What do the colors mean on NOAA radar?
The location of the colored radar echoes indicate where precipitation is falling and the various colors indicate the intensity of the precipitation through the color code in the legend below. Shades of blue represent lighter precipitation while red and purple indicate heavier precipitation.
How do you tell which way a storm is moving?
You can also watch the top of the storm or nearby storms, to see which direction the anvil or wispy clouds are being blown off of the top of the storm. This will give you some insight into the direction of the upper level winds.
What color is tornado on radar?
This often appears as a red area directly next to a green area as seen on the National Weather Service image below. If the radar shows a strong area of rotation and a debris ball in the same area, it is a strong signature that there is a tornado occurring.
Does green on radar always mean rain?
Under certain weather conditions, the radar will display false echoes that look like rain or snow. Much of the radar imagery was shaded green, usually indicative of a steady rain falling across the area, but there weren’t even any clouds in the sky.
What does a tornado look like on weather radar?
Meteorologists look for low CC values within a tornado’s debris ball surrounded by higher values. This often appears as a small blue circle within a larger red area. If the radar shows a strong area of rotation and a debris ball in the same area, it is a strong signature that there is a tornado occurring.
How do you read radar colors?
Velocity imagery is almost always displayed with red and green colors. Red shows winds blowing away from the radar, and green shows winds blowing toward it. Stronger winds usually equate to brighter colors on the radar imagery.
How do you know when a storm is near?
If you count the number of seconds between the flash of lightning and the sound of thunder, and then divide by 5, you’ll get the distance in miles to the lightning: 5 seconds = 1 mile, 15 seconds = 3 miles, 0 seconds = very close. Keep in mind that you should be in a safe place while counting.
What is strong wind warning?
Strong Wind Warnings are issued when wind speeds of 20 to 33 knots, excluding gusts, are occurring or are expected to occur. These warnings are primarily issued during the recreational or summer boating season and are intended for coastal or inland waters only.