National Radar Summary Data Sheet

Name _________________________ Date _________________________

National Radar Summary Activity Answer Sheet

Local Radar Imagery versus National Radar Summary map:
1. What is the approximate maximum coverage range for NWS local radars?
2. Circle one: YES - NO
What is the date and local time of the National Radar Summary map?
- Date ____________________
- Local Time ____________________
Where is precipitation occurring?
1. Using the following table of two-letter abbreviations for state names, cross-off all of the states in which precipitation is occurring. You may need to refer to a map of the United States (courtesy National Geographic Society) and/or a map of two-letter abbreviations for state names.
  
  Two-Letter Abbreviations - State Names
  AK AL AR AZ CA CO CT DE FL GA
  
  HI IA ID IL IN KS KY LA MA MD
  
  ME MI MN MO MS MT NC ND NE NH
  
  NJ NM NV NY OH OK OR PA RI SC
  
  SD TN TX UT VA VT WA WI WV WY
2. Circle one: YES - NO
3. Maximum cloud top ____________________ feet
4. What is the general relationship between precipitation intensity and the height of storm cloud tops?
  _______________________________________________________________________
  _______________________________________________________________________
  _______________________________________________________________________
Can you determine what type of precipitation is falling (e.g., rain, snow, thundershowers, etc.)?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Do radar echoes change over time?
1. What is the direction (N, NE, E, SE, S, etc.) and speed of movement of precipitation echoes across the United States (in mi/hr or km/hr)?
2. Precipitation forecast for your location: _______________________________________________________________________
  _______________________________________________________________________
  _______________________________________________________________________
How do areas of precipitation relate to large-scale weather systems such as Highs, Lows, and fronts? _______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Compare the USA radar map to a current infrared weather satellite image.
1. Do all clouds produce precipitation? _______________________________________________________________________
  _______________________________________________________________________
2. Can you infer the general relationship between the temperature of storm cloud tops (e.g., thunderstorm cells) and precipitation intensity? _______________________________________________________________________
  _______________________________________________________________________
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