🚀 go-pugleaf

While storm relative velocity is definitely the most informative in terms of
providing immediate information on individual thunderstorm processes (ie,
detecting rotation), I have to cast my vote for echo tops.  There are three
reasons for this:

1. Intellicast updates too slowly and is too lagged to be of any use with
SRV images.  By the time you're viewing them, any interesting phenomena will
be history - how long do we want to wait to detect a tornadic signature?
SRV's are great, but only if they're current and update at a more
respectable 7 - 10 minute intervals.  I don't want just another historical
picture, I want something that can help me make decisions *now* and in the
immediate future.

2. If I'm looking for tornadic signatures in SRV images then I'm already
late - I should have left my computer an hour ago to get out there and
position myself.  By the time I see something, it's far too late.

3. The NWS has near real-time access to these images, they are trained in
interpreting them, and they do a great job telling us the only thing we want
to know - where they see a possible tornado.  In other words, SRVs are doing
their job right now in the hands of the NWS and I really don't think they
would be of much benefit to us.  If we could get real-time access and also
know what we're doing, then yes it'd be great.

I chose echo tops because at least that gives me more information that will
help me deploy and position myself.  With that I'm not mislead by
reflectivity intensities into going after the wrong storm.  It can also help
show more clearly which cells are growing and which are dying.  It's
information that will help me both now and an hour or two down the road.
Even the lag of Intellicast won't throw away its usefulness.  In fact, the
only time I ever use Intellicast is to see their Radar Summary image just
because it has echo tops and storm motion vectors - it's old, but it helps a
lot.

Paul Watkins
StormWarn!
http://www.stormwarn.com


----------------
Date:    Wed, 12 Aug 1998 09:27:56 -0400
From:    "D'Amelio, Stephen M." <SMDamelio@CVS.COM>
Subject: New intellicast radar products

        I just noticed that the intellicast radar web page is
        conducting a survey. They would like to add a new
        NEXRAD product and are soliciting input. The
        product which I voted for, which I think would benefit
        this group the most, is the relative storm velocity.

        Please let me know if you agree or disagree. If in agreement,
        I urge you to cast your vote.

        Thanks,

        Steve D'Amelio
        Worcester/Norfolk county MA

        the site is at http://www.intellicast.com/survey/

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