Ksfy Live Doppler (2024)

FAQs

What does 50 DBz mean in weather? ›

Values of 50 dBZ or more normally are associated with heavy thunderstorms, perhaps with hail, but as with most other quantities, there are no reliable threshold values to confirm the presence of hail or severe weather in a given situation.

DBz means “Decibels of reflectivity”, and denotes rain (or other precipitation) intensity as measured by a radar. Although a decibel usually measures sound intensity, it can be used for the intensity of any signal, in this case the radar signal reflected back to the radar after hitting a raindrop (or something else).

VIP 1 (Level 1, 18-30 dBZ) - Light precipitation. VIP 2 (Level 2, 30-38 dBZ) - Light to moderate rain. VIP 3 (Level 3, 38-44 dBZ) - Moderate to heavy rain. VIP 4 (Level 4, 44-50 dBZ) - Heavy rain.

Values above about 45 dBZ signify intense precipitation and are nearly always caused by thunderstorms. Anything above 60 dBZ generally means that the sample volume contains some hail.

KSFY-TV (channel 13) is a television station in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States, affiliated with ABC.

KDLT-TV (channel 46) is a television station in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States, affiliated with NBC and Fox.

South Dakota lies in both the Mountain Time Zone and the Central Time Zone. Mountain Time contains most of the western half of the state, including Mount Rushmore. Rapid City is the largest city in the Mountain Time portion of the state.

On a weather radar map, a tornado is usually indicated by a smaller area of red surrounded by a larger area of green. However, modern radar systems can also indicate debris balls, a sign of a tornado on the ground.

Based on our observations, rain can cause false readings or interfere with the radar's ability to determine a vehicle's speed. Despite these challenges, radar devices are still used in rainy conditions, although officers may rely more on visual cues and other forms of speed measurement.

What can doppler radar detect? ›

Doppler radar can see not only the precipitation in a thunderstorm (through its ability to reflect microwave energy, or reflectivity), but motion of the precipitation along the radar beam. In other words, it can measure how fast rain or hail is moving toward or away from the radar.

Decibel relative to Z, or dBZ, is a logarithmic dimensionless technical unit used in radar, mostly in weather radar, to compare the equivalent reflectivity factor (Z) of a remote object (in mm⁶ per m³) to the return of a droplet of rain with a diameter of 1 mm (1 mm⁶ per m³).

• 40 dBZ (orange) - Moderate to heavy rain or sleet showers. • 50 dBZ (red) - Heavy thunderstorms. • 60 dBZ (pink) - Intense to severe thunderstorms with hail. If you see values <5 dBZ, the radar is operating in clear air mode, indicating that it is likely NOT raining in the area.

As dBZ values increase so does the intensity of the rainfall. Value of 20 dBZ is typically the point at which light rain begins. The values of 60 to 65 dBZ is about the level where 1" (2.5 cm) diameter hail can occur. However, a value of 60 to 65 dBZ does not mean that severe weather is occurring at that location.