Clear Air Mode: U.S. radar stations operate in either 'Clear Air Mode' when there is no precipitation in the area or
'Precipitation Mode' when rain is in the area. Radar is at its most sensitive state of operation when in clear air mode.
The antenna rotates at its slowest rate permitting the radar to sample a given volume of the atmosphere longer giving it
the ability to detect smaller objects than when in precipitation mode. Much of what you see in clear air mode is airborne
dust & particulate matter.
Precipitation Mode: Radar doesn't need to be as sensitive as in clear air mode. This is because rainfall provides plenty
of returning signals giving you a much cleaner view of any rainfall in the area without all of the clutter seen in clear
air mode.
Storm Tracks: The Storm Track Feature allows you to see what direction or track the storm is currently headed to. This
feature shows a white line extending out of a little white square box from the center of a storm cell. The "x"'s along
this white line indicate every 15 minutes where the center of the storm is forecast to be, based on its current speed and
direction. For an example, the 4th "x" shows where the storm will be in an hour given its current tracking. The longer the
white line the faster the storm is moving.
Using Zoom: You can easily zoom in by clicking on the "Zoom Button" and then clicking on the map. With every click the
map will zoom in more and more. Once zoomed in you can then "Click and Drag" the map. The "Click and Drag" is only
available when zoomed in. This feature allows you to zoom right into your own neighborhood. To reset the map to the
original viewing level, simply click on the "Unzoom Button".
Note: Typically you will see area temperatures, current earthquakes, and highway markers etc when there is no rainfall
in the area. When there is rainfall occurring in the area the map is usually cleared to only show the radar, highways and
city names, along with rain related icons like hail and cloud rotation on the map. This is because we don't want to put up
anything extra that will obstruct the view of the radar during any rainfall event.
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| WEATHER WARNING NOTIFICATIONS |
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Tornado Warning |
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Avalanche Warning |
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Blizzard Warning |
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Winter Storm Warning |
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Severe Thunderstorm Warning |
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High Wind Warning |
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Storm Warning |
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High Surf Warning |
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Flood Warning |
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Gale Warning |
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Hazardous Seas Warning |
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Wind Chill Warning |
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Hard Freeze Warning |
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Freeze Warning |
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Heavy Freezing Spray Warning |
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Fire Weather Warning |
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Red Flag Warning |
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Flash Flood Warning |
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Marine Warning |
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| WEATHER ADVISORIES NOTIFICATIONS |
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Flood Advisory |
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High Surf Advisory |
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Winter Weather Advisory |
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Small Craft Advisory |
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Brisk Wind Advisory |
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Dense Fog Advisory |
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Wind Advisory |
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Freezing Fog Advisory |
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Freezing Rain Advisory |
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Air Stagnation Advisory |
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Wind Chill Advisory |
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Lake Effect Snow Advisory |
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Lake Wind Advisory |
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| WEATHER WATCH NOTIFICATIONS |
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Tornado Watch |
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Flood Watch |
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High Wind Watch |
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Gale Watch |
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Hard Freeze Watch |
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Freeze Watch |
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Fire Weather Watch |
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Avalanche Watch |
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Winter Storm Watch |
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Severe Thunderstorm Watch |
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Hazardous Seas Watch |
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| OTHER WEATHER NOTIFICATIONS |
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Air Quality Alert |
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Special Weather Statement |
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Coastal Flood Statement |
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Short Term Forecast |
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