The Tool Desk
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First identify the radar product and its timestamp
Radar transmits energy and measures what returns from targets in its beam. The display’s product determines what those returns represent, so check the product name, legend, timestamp, and your location on the map before interpreting colors. The National Weather Service (NWS) guidance says to make sure radar data is current and to check its timestamp. Radar services may refresh at different intervals; an older frame describes an earlier scan, not necessarily current conditions.
| Product | What it shows | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| Base reflectivity | Echo intensity from a particular elevation scan. | Use the product legend to interpret echo values at that scan’s elevation. |
| Composite reflectivity | The maximum reflectivity found through the radar’s scanned volume. | It may show a stronger echo aloft even if that return is not representative of precipitation at the surface. |
| Velocity | Movement toward or away from the radar along its line of sight. | Read the velocity legend and note the radar’s location; this is not a map of a storm’s direction of travel. |
These are NWS WSR-88D product conventions. Other countries, apps, and map services may offer different products, legends, palettes, or update cycles. Do not assume that a color means the same thing across two maps; use the legend on the display you are viewing.
What do the colors on a weather radar map mean?
On a reflectivity map, colors encode the strength of the returned radar signal according to that product’s scale. NWS reflectivity values are expressed in dBZ, a logarithmic measure of reflectivity. Read the scale itself rather than treating each color step as an equal, linear increase in rainfall.
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Stronger precipitation echoes generally correspond to more intense precipitation, but the return also depends on the targets in the beam and the conditions of the scan. Drop size, precipitation type, beam width, and clutter can affect reflectivity. As a result, a color is not a precise measurement of how much rain is falling at your doorstep.
The NWS Storm Prediction Center glossary says values of 50 dBZ or more are normally associated with heavy thunderstorms and may indicate hail, but it also states that “there are no reliable threshold values to confirm the presence of hail or severe weather in a given situation.” Do not use a single dBZ value or color by itself to diagnose hail or determine whether a storm is severe.
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How can I tell which way a storm is moving?
Use an animation of successive reflectivity scans to see where precipitation echoes have shifted. Compare the same area across several recent frames: this reveals observed movement during that interval, not a guaranteed forecast. Storms can change speed, curve, or move in different directions, so a short loop does not establish exactly where a storm will go or when it will arrive.
Velocity is a separate product and answers a different question. On the NWS WSR-88D base-velocity product, negative values indicate motion toward the radar and positive values indicate motion away from it. The signal is radial—along the radar’s line of sight—not the storm’s full path across the map. A red-and-green pattern or a particular velocity color should not be read as the storm’s direction of travel.
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A radar map samples the atmosphere in a beam; it does not directly observe rainfall at every point on the ground. The beam rises with distance from the radar. The NWS Central Region Event Ready Guide notes that it can be 10,000 feet or more above ground at far distances, an illustrative figure rather than a fixed height for every place. At longer ranges, the beam may pass above shallow precipitation, a limitation known as beam overshoot. This is especially relevant to shallow precipitation in cool-season weather.
Even when radar detects precipitation aloft, not all of it necessarily reaches the surface. The NWS puts the distinction plainly: “What you see on radar does not always translate to what is actually happening at the surface.” Reflectivity is converted to an estimated rain rate using an empirical relationship. Different distributions of drop sizes can produce the same reflectivity but different rain rates, so the resulting amount is an estimate rather than a direct ground measurement.
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Other factors can affect the display. Terrain or structures can block part of the radar beam; ground clutter and anomalous propagation can create misleading returns. Birds, insects, aircraft, and wind farms can also produce echoes that are not rain. A single frame may make these patterns harder to distinguish from precipitation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to check an uncertain radar image
- Check the timestamp and product. Confirm that the scan is recent and that you know whether you are viewing reflectivity, velocity, or another product.
- Use the map legend and locate the radar. Interpret colors only against that display’s scale, and remember that beam height and sampling vary with range.
- Compare several frames. A coherent pattern that shifts over successive scans is more informative than an isolated echo, though a loop still does not guarantee future motion.
- Compare with surface conditions and official forecasts or warnings. Radar is not a substitute for what is happening at the surface. Automated hail, rotation, and tornado indicators can be error-prone; do not treat them as confirmation of a hazard.
Radar does not itself detect lightning; lightning information comes from a different data source. For safety decisions, use official forecasts and warnings alongside what you observe locally rather than relying on a radar image alone.
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