Negative Decibels

[Farmtalk]

I know you can use negative decibels on your radar to look for gust fronts and stuff but are the blotches found around a storm cell actual high cumulonimbus clouds that are detected by radar?? Or is it energy? Something else?

[IMADreamer]

Could you post a specific example?

[Farmtalk]

Sorry for the wait, I had another Internet outage...I am interested in what the  negative and slightly positive decibels (denoted by the white and light grey) is around the individual cells

[DanS]

I would think those areas are moisture detected by the radar. When the dbz scale is displayed with - values the radar is in a more sensitive mode (clear air mode vs. precipitation mode) and can detect the lighter precip/moisture content in the air (white/grey areas).

[Farmtalk]

Ok, so you say it is moisture in the area, rather than for instance thunder clouds?

[DanS]

From what I understand about the dbz scale it would seem. "Thunder clouds' are more dense and start appearing in the light green region. Someone will chime in and correct me if I'm wrong here.

I found this and it may help. Down near the bottom talks a little about it. http://www.aprsfl.net/radar/index.php?site=FLOR

[Farmtalk]

Thanks Dan!! That helped alot!

[ocala]

I would think you would also have to take into account the beam of the angle over a long distance. It would distort some of the data.
I think.

[Farmtalk]

I would think you would also have to take into account the beam of the angle over a long distance. It would distort some of the data.
I think.

Kind of like how pixels for radar returns get much larger away from the radar?