Interpreting Weather Radar Images - Honeywell PRIMUS 660 Pilot's Manual

R
PRIMUS 660 Digital Weather Radar System

INTERPRETING WEATHER RADAR IMAGES

From a weather standpoint, hail and turbulence are the principal
obstacles to a safe and comfortable flight. Neither of these conditions
is directly visible on radar. The radar shows only the rainfall patterns that
these conditions are associated.
The weather radar can see water best in its liquid form, as shown in
figure 5–28 (not water vapor; not ice crystals; not hail when small and
perfectly dry). It can see rain, wet snow, wet hail, and dry hail when its
diameter is about 8/10 of the radar wavelength or larger. (At X–band,
this means that dry hail becomes visible to the radar at about 1–in.
diameter.)
REFLECTIVE LEVELS
WET HAIL – GOOD
RAIN – GOOD
WET SNOW – GOOD
DRY HAIL – POOR
DRY SNOW – VERY POOR
Radar Facts
5-24
Weather Radar Images
Figure 5–28
WILL NOT REFLECT
VAPOR
ICE CRYSTALS
SMALL DRY HAIL
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