How does this happen ?
For the last couple of hours we've had heavy clouds . Heavy clouds / Storm threatening clouds . Over an hour ago I checked the radar and nothing was on the map . I couldn't believe it then , but thought maybe these clouds had just formed and the radar hadn't had the chance to catch-up yet . But now that it's raining I checked again ,. . . . and still nothing on the radar . ZERO !!
How Can This Happen ?
2007-10-01 05:45:10 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Weather
tll - Nope , that's not it . We have 2 radars that actually intermingle for our immediate area .
2007-10-01 05:50:16 · update #1
It's still raining 20 minutes later and still nothing on radar . How can this be ?
2007-10-01 06:05:17 · update #2
The radar picture will not show clouds, but precipitation. Check the time on the radar, see if it is close to the real time. Also, if the radar site is far away from you, then it might not be "seeing" the rain because the radar beam is overshooting the rain bearing clouds. This is not unusual. The radar beam goes in a straight line, while the Earth surface is curved. As a result the beam gets higher as it get further away from the radar site due to the Earth "dropping" below it.
2007-10-01 05:53:32 · answer #1 · answered by cyswxman 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It is most likely due to the imaging scan of the radar. If it is a PPI it is looking out in a horizontal cross section at a given angle from the radar site which may be looking above the precip at your location. If you can change the profile of the display to an RHI type display you can get a composited look through a depth of atmosphere that will more than likely reveal the storm overhead. There are different names given to these displays from some of the different systems available on the net.
2007-10-01 16:06:54 · answer #2 · answered by 1ofSelby's 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The above answers are either compleatly wrong or to technical.
Here is the easy answer two reason.
1the radar is either down or the settings may not be set for the type of precip that is falling.
To learn more on how the radar works see this link
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/doppler/doppler_intro.htm
2007-10-01 20:51:58 · answer #3 · answered by NWS Storm Spotter 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Radars can not detect the objects which are exactly overhead.This area which can not be scanned by the radar is called the 'cone of silence'.So, if the cloud patches are exactly overhead and within this area and if they are giving precipitation, they can not be detected by the radar.
2007-10-01 14:00:30 · answer #4 · answered by Arasan 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
That GWB and Darth Vader must be fine tuning their global warming machine again.
Is this the story Lib's? HA HA H AH HA
2007-10-01 16:35:47 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Someone must have flushed the planes when they were flying over your area - Was the rain water blue?
2007-10-01 12:54:56 · answer #6 · answered by g_for_G 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Weather forcasting (and it's tools) is an ART....not a science.
2007-10-01 12:54:04 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
maybe b/c its only localized...not a big enough area to show up?
2007-10-01 12:47:55 · answer #8 · answered by tll 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋