Leave No Storm Unhyped

I’m not trying to split hairs here, but Doppler functions from the Weather Service Upton, NY radar can’t get close to the ground in Brooklyn/Queens/Staten Island!

Any time I want to get upset I take a look at Drudge. No disappointment today!

“109 mph Winds Rip Through NYC…”

I hadn’t heard that number so I clicked the link and ended up on AccuWeather‘s site. Their headline reads:

“109 mph Winds Rip Through NYC. NWS Investigating Possible Tornado”

The story by AccuWeather meteorologist Meghan Evans was factual and straight to the point until she said,

Radar indicates that winds topping 109 mph tore through parts of the city.

Oh. Sorry Meghan, that doesn’t count!

I’m not trying to split hairs here, but Doppler functions from the Weather Service Upton, NY radar can’t get close to the ground in Brooklyn/Queens/Staten Island! The NEXRAD radar scans at many different elevation angles. Even the very lowest (.5&#176) is a few thousand feet up by the time it makes the approximately 60 mile trek across Long Island.

Low level winds are effected by friction with objects on the ground. At a few thousand feet that effect is greatly diminished. What the radar shows is often different than what’s happening on the ground.

I’m not saying there wasn’t a 109 mph wind yesterday on the streets of New York City. However, if that wind was there it wouldn’t be seen on NEXRAD!

There’s no doubt yesterday’s weather in New York City was scary and damaging. Is it necessary to quantify it in this less than scientifically sound way?

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