Topic: Long skinny horizontal green lines on Doppler radar

[kevink619]

Does anyone know what these (see attached image) long narrow lines signify? Some strange weak storm? Interference? Software bug?

Thanks,

Kevin

[Jáchym]

Hi Kevin,
most likely radar interference. This is often caused for example by strong wi-fi near the radar location or some other transmitter. Such interference commonly shows up as straight lines or circular patterns. A squall line would never be this straight and never so sharp and narrow.

The radar also experiences interference from the electromagnetic energy emitted by the sun. At sunrise and sunset you will often see a spike of returned energy on the display.

It could also be a SW bug, but it is probably not so likely because the line has some gaps.

Or it could really be some very strange storm, but I have seen many radar images and never anything like this which would not be either interference or as you pointed out SW bug.

[kevink619]

Makes sense now. Thanks for the explanation.

[DanS]

I've noticed, at least on the Thai system here, that when they have the sensitivity higher, those lines appear. I realize that doesn't answer your question but possibly the higher the sensitivity the more chance to receive interference.?.?
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[W3DRM]

Dan,

What you are showing appear to be radial radar returns while those shown by Kevin are most likely just noise in the radar data transmission. Putting it another way, yours radiate out from the central radar unit while Kevin's appear to be streaks caused by noise or interference in the data signal during transmission.

[WeatherHost]

If you want to see something funky, look at Cheyenne, WY and note the echoes to the west.

[BigOkie]

Or several areas in Oklahoma that seem to have perpetual radar echoes....these are wind farms and you can see them at other radar sites.