The radar emits a burst of energy (green), from a 28 foot diameter antenna inside the radome (the white, soccer ball covering). The WSR-88D obtains weather information (precipitation and wind) based upon returned energy generated and received at the Radar Data Aquisition (RDA) unit (see animated diagram below). That's about 3 elevations per minute, or one radar image every 20 seconds! What other operational weather radar can do that? How does the radar work? During severe weather, the NWS WSR-88D is looking at 14 different elevations every 5 minutes, generating a radar image of each elevation. Many other radar systems do not have this kind of power, nor can they look at more than one "slice" of the atmosphere.
It also allows energy to continue past an initial shower or thunderstorm near the radar, thus seeing additional storms farther away. The WSR-88D is considered by many to be the most powerful radar in the world, transmitting at 750,000 watts (an average light bulb is only 75 watts)! This power enables a beam of energy generated by the radar to travel long distances, and detect many kinds of weather phenomena.
The NWS Northern Indiana radar began warning operations on March 17th, 1998. The WSR-88D has also been installed in Puerto Rico and several islands in the Pacific. Since first being built and tested in 1988, it has been installed and used operationally at over 160 locations across the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii. The WSR-88D is one of the most powerful and advanced Weather Surveillance Doppler Radar in the world. How does the radar work? Is every thing I see on the images an accurate picture of my weather? What are the different types of radar images? How often are the images updated? What is Clear Air Mode? What is Precipitation Mode? What do the colors mean in the reflectivity products? What is the difference between base and composite reflectivity? What is UTC Time? Thanks to its extensive radar coverage, RainViewer can also generate an accurate weather forecast for the next week.īelow you can find an extensive list of radars in regions where precipitation and unstable weather currently occur.Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about the NWS WSR-88D Having analyzed this data, the app shows the current weather forecast and how the weather will be changing during the day. RainViewer has access to the data from more than 1000 weather radars across the world. It will automatically search the map, allowing you to learn where the rain, snow, or hail was before it reached your areas and where it will be moving. Use the playback controls to turn on the map animation. We are also working on the display of the mix of precipitation types, such as rain, freezing rain, sleet, and/or snow. Rain and snow are shown in blue whereas showers are marked with orange and red, and hail - with pink. The precipitation type is marked with different colors on the map. It is possible to analyze both types of data in order to identify if the storm can cause severe weather. A modern weather radar is mostly a Doppler radar that can detect the motion of rain droplets in addition to the intensity. With the help of a weather radar map, it is also possible to predict where the rain will be moving next and how intense it will be. A weather radar can determine the precipitation type (rain, snow, hail, etc.) and spot its location. The Weather Radar Map Live page shows areas where precipitation is currently expected.