New Doppler RIDGE 2 Radar Display

The National Weather Service is now providing users with a non-operational test of its proposed next generation interactive radar display.  The RIDGE 2 radar display gives users the ability to toggle elements aside from the radar.  Warnings, watches, and advisories along with the radar can be overlaid on a Google Earth interface, which provides map, terrain, and satellite background options.  The opacity can now also be modified by the user to optimize the information that is needed. 

Another improvement of the RIDGE 2 is its ability to display radar reflectivity data in its mosaic from Terminal Doppler Weather Radar (TDWR) sites.  This data has become available recently for National Weather Service forecasters.  To see a case study where this new data was helpful locally during a severe weather event visit: Terminal Doppler Radar Data Proven Beneficial.

Figure 1: An example of the RIDGE 2 display screen.  Notice that NWS WSR-88D radars are represented by black circles, while the TDWRs are represented by light blue circles.

Visit the new RIDGE 2 radar display and test it out at: http://radar.srh.noaa.gov/