Weather Radar Question

[Graueradler]

Yesterday evening (30 July) around 18:00 CDT in western Arkansas, Low intensity precip (green) was moving East while imbedded higher intensity precip (yellow) was moving esstntially due South. What was going on????

 

[RotorAndWing]

For the simple answer, wind shift at various altitudes, common during thunderstorms.

 

[kevin47881]

Storms intensifying on the back side of a low?

 

[taters]

you should see the "trick" where it goes from green to hot purple..ha ha

 

[Rudy]

For the simple answer, wind shift at various altitudes, common during thunderstorms.

Right! Once the storm builds to a certain height (usually 700mb or around 10,000ft) the storm follows the winds at that level.

Called "steering winds" in the weather world.

Best,

 

[gismo]

Yesterday evening (30 July) around 18:00 CDT in western Arkansas, Low intensity precip (green) was moving East while imbedded higher intensity precip (yellow) was moving esstntially due South. What was going on????

If you're looking at XM weather or the composite NexRad display on the internet, it's composed of several scans of the sky at increasing angles (and altitudes) higher intensity precip typically shows up at higher altitudes where the winds are likely moving in a different direction than near the Earth's surface where the low intensity stuff often hangs out. Also it's typical that the general weather area near a front moves in the direction of the front's advance while individual cells move parallel to the front.

 

[Graueradler]

I guess I should have looked at the general weather picture at the time. That was the same day that the Memphis area was getting hit with severe weather

 

[fastair5]

you should see the "trick" where it goes from green to hot purple..ha ha

That's hillarious!