OT: Radar colors

[DJ Spanky]

So Tyler was driving down to VA yesterday afternoon and evening: he calls me about 7:40, almost there, asking me something. I mentioned to him I'd been checking the radar and that he had a line of storms heading his way, so he shouldn't make any stops. He calls me about 20-25 minutes later: he had to pull into a side street as the wind and rain were so intense. I looked at the radar and had never seen colors like this. I took the following screenshot:

He was at the place on the map called RIO when he pulled off.

Apparently lots of stuff was down from that, took him another hour and a half to get home instead of 20-30 minutes.

 

[Brisket and Bourbon]

“Purple, dark purple, white” on radar returns almost always implies severe weather. If organized in a line or bow, take cover.

Coloring is like a legend on a map…severity depends on whatever the creator or the image assigned to that color (in terms of echo reflectivity…updraft strength, ice core)

Check the color bar at the bottom…

This is how the NWS assigns colors to radar echoes. FYI lots of apps do not abide by the NWS coloring scheme.

 

[e5fdny]

Magenta on the map = watch out!

Same for a green sky if you’re out and about.

 

[mildone]

So Tyler was driving down to VA yesterday afternoon and evening: he calls me about 7:40, almost there, asking me something. I mentioned to him I'd been checking the radar and that he had a line of storms heading his way, so he shouldn't make any stops. He calls me about 20-25 minutes later: he had to pull into a side street as the wind and rain were so intense. I looked at the radar and had never seen colors like this. I took the following screenshot:

He was at the place on the map called RIO when he pulled off.

Apparently lots of stuff was down from that, took him another hour and a half to get home instead of 20-30 minutes.

Make sure to remind him that, when he needs to pull over and stop for the night down in the south there, he should check the “fine print” on the hotel signs and make sure to avoid any place where it reads “you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave”.

 

[RUBOB72]

Green is a big indicator of impending tornado activity.

 

[colbert17]

The only Radar color I know is grape.

 

[e5fdny]

The only Radar color I know is grape.

Officers Club bartender: “Would the Corporal Captain like a straw with his grape NEHI?”

Radar (in his best John Wayne impression): “We don’t use straws in combat, fella.”

 

[BigRnj]

The only Radar color I know is grape.

Wow that’s the first time I saw a photo of Chris Ash smiling… it must have been taken right after the Hobbs interview 🤔