It's supposed to snow here in Raleigh yet again (we've already had more snow this year than we usually see in a decade).

But not if Braniac has anything to say about it:

And a closeup. I think you can mathematically determine the focus of the hyperbola.

Heh, I think someone needs to clean off the pile of snow around the bottom half of their radar dish.

The radar in Raleigh is scanning in an low upward angle. The snow over the radar site was not making it to the ground. Wnat you are seeing to the south is where it actually is snowing. To the west and to the east, the radar is picking up the snow that is not reaching the ground as the radar angle is picking up the snow echoes. I live under the N in Burlington and it was not snowing here at the time even though the radar was picking up echoes... in fact, it was only snowing in a line from Asheboro, Pittsboro, Wilson, Greenville line at the time of this radar... finally saw some here an hour later however...

im confused. how are all of those colors significant to snow on a radar dish, upwards pointing dishes, and calculated hyperbolas?

im confused

Bitt was making the point that the storm front appeared to be making a nice circular path to avoid the center of the radar dish's sweep, which happened to be Raleigh. He was saying that the radar picture was funny because it looked like the storm was avoiding Raleigh.

I suggested that piled-up snow around the base of the radar might account for the visual anomoly, but a much more likely and logical explanation of low ground angle was offered.

All of those colors are depicting really heavy thundersnow just south of raleigh through Fayetteville. They were getting 3"+ an hour of snow at the time. the radar dish, on the second map, is between Garner and Clayton on Hwy 70. The green/yellow/red line just to the south is where the snow is actually reaching the ground.

Sean

roger

i now understand. thanks

Do you want another cool explaination??? Ok. since there were thunderstorms to the south, the radar may have actually been correct. There may have been no snow to the north of the storms since the Tstorm updrafts were blocking the moisture in upper air flow. To the west and east there was no blocking updrafts to limit the moistures path to the north...



Sean in NC

You left out aliens. It could be aliens, too.

Sunspots... I forgot sunspots...


Sean

An interesting explanation. Sounds like you have some knowledge in the area of meteorology.

I am just an amateur. No degree or anything... the only reason I got a internet connection back in 1995 was to get radar data...


Sean