The 3 main radar tools WCCO's NEXT Weather team uses to keep you safe
MINNEAPOLIS -- We are no strangers to storms and extreme weather in Minnesota and western Wisconsin. That is why we have a full week dedicated to getting ready for future events.
Part of Severe Weather Preparedness Week is not only working through the checklist to help prepare for the turbulence of spring and summer weather, but it's also learning about the tools that help us out during severe weather.
The mighty tool that WCCO's NEXT Weather team uses? That would be radar.
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A Doppler radar is technology that scans the sky and sends back all the information that meteorologists need to track rain, snow, and even other non-meteorological objects.
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There are three main products that WCCO's meteorologists tend to use while tracking severe weather -- reflectivity, velocity, and the debris tracker, which is traditionally referred to as correlation coefficient.
In other words, they're identifying precipitation type, intensity, motion, and what else is flying in the air.
Reflectivity is the most often used radar product to help determine precipitation type and intensity.
Velocity indicates the motion of precipitation. The NEXT Weather team uses it to determine rotation in a potential tornadic storm. Green indicates what's moving towards the radar, and red what's moving away.
Lastly, correlation coefficient (also known as the debris tracker) delivers the message that something doesn't resemble rain or hail. This tool informs that there is debris in the air. It may be leaves, fragments of wood, and other objects. That let's meteorologists know a tornado is likely on the ground and doing damage.
They're all among the necessary tools to track storms and keep everyone safe.