OPERATIONAL USE OF WEATHER RADAR COMPOSITES IN FLORIDA

Abstract

A weather radar facsimile network providing rapid collection and compositing of radarscope photographs has been established in Florida by the Weather Bureau in support of Project Mercury. Equipment and operational procedures are discussed in some detail and several synoptic examples of radar compositing from PPI photographs are presented. These examples include echo configurations associated with an casterly wave and two well-organized squall lines that moved across the Florida Peninsula. Itadar composites for these situations are compared with coded radar observations and Radar Summary Charts and the advantages and possible future utilization of radar composites are cited.