New technology is allowing the National Weather Service to give even more accurate forecasts.
This is the first winter storm where dual-polarization weather radar will be used in Tulsa.
NWS Meteorologist Steve Piltz tells KRMG that 'dual-pol' basically means two radar beams are sent out instead of one. Piltz says, "Depending on how one beam reacts compared to the other beam, you can tell 'is that a snowflake, maybe that's a raindrop maybe that's a piece of hail.' Having this technology we can map the precipitation better and have a little bit better understanding of impacts are going to occur."
The National Weather Service say conventional Doppler radars send out a horizontal pulse that gives forecasters a one‐dimensional picture of whatever is in the air, precipitation or non‐precipitation. It can see precipitation, but can’t tell the difference between rain, snow, or hail.
Dual‐pol radar sends and receives both horizontal and vertical pulses which forecasters say helps them clearly identify rain, hail, snow or ice pellets, and other flying objects, improving forecasts for all types of weather.
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