OBSERVATION OF SEVERE WEATHER FEATURES USING DOPPLER RADAR

Doppler radar (WSR - 88D) is proving to be a boon to the forecasting of severe weather features, such as wind shear, turbulence, and microbursts. For a discussion of these topics, refer to the Federal Meteorological Handbook No. 11, Doppler Radar Meteorological Observations, Part D, as well as chapter 12 of this manual.

In this chapter we first discussed phenomena associated with thunderstorms; and then followed with a discussion of associated hazards aloft and at the surface. Methods used in the forecasting of thunderstorm movement and intensity were discussed. Following the discussion of thunderstorms, we covered tornadoes, tornado types, and waterspouts. A discussion on fog formation, types of fog, conditions necessary for various types of fog, and the use of the Skew T Log P Diagram in determining various fog parameters were presented. Next, we covered the processes involved in aircraft icing, intensities of icing, icing hazards near the surface, and aloft. Operational aspects of aircraft icing were then discussed, followed by types of icing and icing intensity forecasts. The last topics presented were turbulence characteristics, classification and intensities, the forecasting of turbulence near the surface, in-cloud, and CAT, as well as a discussion of the benefits of Doppler radar in forecasting turbulence.

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