Wierd radar

[Cookiely]

Can anyone tell me what this radar represents?

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/radar/loop/DS.p ... ktbw.shtml

[W13]

No idea.

Didn't even load all the way for me ...

[Cookiely]

No idea.

Didn't een load all the way for me ...

Sorry. Try this link and click on the radar for Florida.
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/data/forecasts/ ... city=Tampa

[Brent]

Looks like something erupted...

Probably ground clutter or something in the air... hopefully just birds, but why would they appear out of thin air?

[TexasSam]

That's the radar in "clear air mode"...

[Brent]

That's the radar in "clear air mode"...

I think she knows that... look at the explosion of reds and oranges northeast of Tampa.

[W13]

Wow, I really have no clue as to what could be doing that. I am going to go with Brent's theory, though. Weird stuff.

[Cookiely]

That's the radar in "clear air mode"...

I think she knows that... look at the explosion of reds and oranges northeast of Tampa.

I've looked at this radar a lot and never seen anything remotely like this.

[W13]

Maybe it's severe t-storms that popped up out of nowhere?

[wxguy25]

There’s nothing strange about that radar image at all. Its just ground clutter. The reason why this happens is b/c the radar beam is bending more toward the surface as a result of a weak temperature inversion over the region. This process is called SUPERREFRACTION.

If we take a look at the 23z Sounding at TPA, we can see that there are two primary layers of temperature inversion (where the temperature actually INCREASES w/ height) on the sounding below 700mb. One around 930mb and another near 900mb.



The inversion is probably the result of radiational cooling taking place given the clear skies over the region now that the sun has set and diurnal heating has been lost.

The combination of superrefraction caused by the low level inversions and the low tilt angle (you are seeing the tilt angle of .5 degrees on the NWS site) the beam is being scattered off of lower level objects promoting an increase in ground clutter and giving the appearance of precipitation over the region.

Here is the TBW radar at 2.5 DEG and 3.5 DEG tilts. You will notice that since we have increase the beam tilt (away from the SFC and lower levels) the ground clutter is almost gone.



Here is TBW NEXRAD at .5 DEG tilt. Notice that the Low Beam tilt is picking up PLENTY of ground clutter close to the radar site. Now as I Increase the tilt to 2.5 degrees the amount of ground clutter is reduced.



Notice w/ the tilt angle at 2.5 degrees most of the ground clutter is gone.



At 3.5 degrees the ground clutter is gone.

[Yankeegirl]

Houstons radar looks like that all the time.. All it is, is ground clutter and false echos... I notice that it is humid when it does that.... Looks cool though!

[Cookiely]

There’s nothing strange about that radar image at all. Its just ground clutter. The reason why this happens is b/c the radar beam is bending more toward the surface as a result of a weak temperature inversion over the region. This process is called SUPERREFRACTION.

If we take a look at the 23z Sounding at TPA, we can see that there are two primary layers of temperature inversion (where the temperature actually INCREASES w/ height) on the sounding below 700mb. One around 930mb and another near 900mb.



The inversion is probably the result of radiational cooling taking place given the clear skies over the region now that the sun has set and diurnal heating has been lost.

The combination of superrefraction caused by the low level inversions and the low tilt angle (you are seeing the tilt angle of .5 degrees on the NWS site) the beam is being scattered off of lower level objects promoting an increase in ground clutter and giving the appearance of precipitation over the region.

Here is the TBW radar at 2.5 DEG and 3.5 DEG tilts. You will notice that since we have increase the beam tilt (away from the SFC and lower levels) the ground clutter is almost gone.



Here is TBW NEXRAD at .5 DEG tilt. Notice that the Low Beam tilt is picking up PLENTY of ground clutter close to the radar site. Now as I Increase the tilt to 2.5 degrees the amount of ground clutter is reduced.



Notice w/ the tilt angle at 2.5 degrees most of the ground clutter is gone.



At 3.5 degrees the ground clutter is gone.

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. Happy New Year.

[ohiostorm]

Yeah Pittsburgh's does that from time to time on very clear nights.

[wxguy25]

Yeah Pittsburgh's does that from time to time on very clear nights.

yep the radiational cooling leads to a temperature inversion in the low levels resulting in superrefraction.