STORMTRACKER 13 My HD Doppler

We've taken the most advanced radar system available, modified it and cleaned it up for personal on-line use. We're proud to bring you My HD Doppler, one of the most advanced and powerful web based radar tools available, allowing you to take control and track storms into your neighborhood across southern Colorado, just like the STORMTRACKER 13 team!

To begin tracking storms, choose a map by clicking on one of the thumbnail images. When you click on an image the system will begin to load current weather data. When the radar loads you will be able to use the check boxes at the top of the page to turn the different radar and storm tracking features on and off.

Radar Button

The Radar button is pre-selected for you and is the standard radar display most people are familiar with. Measured in units called dBZ (decibels), it shows the location and the intensity of precipitation, or how “loud” the radar beam is when it returns to the radar location after bouncing off of precipitation particels.

The intensity scale is on the left-hand side of the radar window and ranges from light precipitation represented by greens, to the intense precipitation, represented by the reds and purples. The most extreme precipitation intensity on this scale is in pink.

Notice the smooth look of the precipitation patterns (i.e., the storms) on the radar display. This is a result of high definition (HD) data processing which eliminates the blocky appearance typical of less sophisticated radar displays.

Winterize Button

This highly advanced feature becomes very useful for tracking storms during our colder months as we take into account the vertical temperature profile through the atmosphere to detect winter participation like rain, freezing rain/drizzle, sleet and snow. The legend on the left side will changes to indicate the winter precipitation type falling in your neighborhood.

Rainfall Button

As radar detects how intense precipitation is over time, we can use it to estimate how much water has fallen from the sky. The rainfall button displays the estimated liquid equivalent of water over the area through an entire precipitation event. Note the scale on the left-hand side has changed to represent amounts of rainfall from a trace to over 14 inches. The first three shades of blue at the bottom of the scale from 0 to 1 inch. These specific colors represent rainfall or melted snow amounts from a trace to 1/3", and then from 1/3" to 2/3", and then from 2/3" to 1", respectively.

The limitation of this product are important and should be noted here. It is important to remember that this is only an estimate and while close most of the time, extremely heavy thunderstorms will occasionally cause over-estimation of rainfall totals, as will our high based dry and gusty storms. Snowfall density (dry/wet snow) isn't taken in to account and estimated liquid amounts can be overdone or underdone in extremly dry or wet snow cases.

Track Button

This will overlay a storm track on every significant storm. The square marker shows the most intense portion, or core of the storm used for tracking and the line extending from the storm points in the direction of motion. The tick marks along each line give you an idea of where the storm will be in 15-minute increments with the end of the line gives you an idea of where the storm will be in one hour. Therefore, if a line passes over a particular town, you can expect the storm's arrival within a one hour period.

Hail Button

This button activates STORM VISION, the results of an extremely complex program that analyzes every storm in three dimensions and calculates the maximum size of hail stones within each storm. The scale on the left-hand side of the window shows that a small white ball icon is plotted when the radar detects pea to marble-sized hail. A slightly larger white ball with an inscribed letter "P" indicates penny-sized hail, and once the hail reaches one inch or more in diameter (about the size of a quarter), a relatively large white ball icon is plotted with the size of the hail stone (in inches) inscribed within the ball.

Rotation Button

My HD Doppler calculates and analyzes true Doppler radar wind data, allowing you to detect areas of rotation within a thunderstorm. Rotation centers are identified by a gray swirl icon. If a thunderstorm has developed rotation, it does not necessarily mean that this rotation is a tornado, nor does it mean that it will continue to develop and eventually produce a tornado.

Thunderstorms often produce areas of rotation that come and go without producing severe weather, funnel clouds, tornadoes or wind damage of any kind. If these rotation centers persist for more than 10 to 15 minutes, the chance of severe weather of some kind - large hail, damaging straight line wind and/or tornadoes - significantly increases.

Intense Rotation Button

Areas of particularly strong rotation are indicated by either a blueish-purple swirl icon or a purple arrowhead as indicated by the legend on the left-hand side. The blueish-purple swirl icon means that intense rotation is detected, but it is located in the upper-level parts of the storm rather than near the bottom. Thus, it is not likely that this intense rotation has made it to the ground.

The purple arrowhead means that intense rotation is detected in the lowest levels of the storm, and therefore has a higher probability that it is actually extending down to the ground. It needs to be pointed out that due to the curvature of the earth, it is not possible for any radar, no matter how powerful, to see what is going on directly at ground level. However, when a purple arrowhead is displayed on My HD Doppler - and especially if it is preceded by and/or coincident with a long lived rotation center as indicated by a gray or blueish-purple swirl icon, the probability of a tornado increases.

Warnings Button

When the National Weather Service issues a TORNADO or SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING, they will be outlined over the specific part of the county (or counties) that are being or will be affected by the storm. The warnings are also dynamic in the sense that they move with any change in storm motion. Thus if a storm takes an unexpected turn to the left or right, the warning outline will adjust to reflect those areas under the greatest threat and which areas are in the "all clear”.

Zoom Feature

To zoom in on the map, left-click the mouse. To drag the map around to analyze storms, left-click and hold as you move the mouse in the direction you want to move.

To zoom out left-click while holding CTRL and to completely zoom out to the original map projection left-click while holding ALT

Display Problems

My HD Doppler requires the FLASH plugin…Visit http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash to install the Flash player on your computer