Weather Radar Fundamentals

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Doppler Velocity Measurements » Questions » Question 3

Estimate the wind speed and direction at the location of the white "X" in the image. (Choose the best answer.)

Radial velocity image showing blue and green colors to the north and west of the radar and red and yellow colors to the south and east of the radar. A white X is positioned to the south-southwest of the radar along the zero isodop.

The correct answer is d.

Radial velocity image showing blue and green colors to the north and west of the radar and red and yellow colors to the south and east of the radar. A white X is positioned to the south-southwest of the radar along the zero isodop. A radial drawn from the radar to the X is capped by a perpendicular arrow that points to the southeast. The maximum and minimum winds at that range are colored in aqua and yellow, corresponding to approximately 26 knots.

Drawing a radial from the location of the radar out to the white X and then drawing a line perpendicularly from the inbound velocities there toward the outbound velocities, we can see that the wind must be blowing from the northwest. Its speed is approximately 20 to 26 knots, as evidenced by the maximum and minimum values at that same range.

Please make a selection.