Radar
Radar Loop Reading Guide: Motion, Growth, Decay, and Storm Timing
How to read a radar loop, estimate storm movement, spot strengthening or weakening, and avoid common radar-map mistakes.
Quick answer: A radar loop is more useful than one still image because it shows storm motion, growth, weakening, and boundary movement.
Motion
Watch several frames to see direction and speed instead of guessing from one image.
Storms can train over the same area even if each cell moves quickly.
Growth and decay
Brightening colors can mean heavier precipitation, but radar color alone is not a full severity measure.
Look for trends, warnings, lightning, and velocity data.
Common mistake
Radar data is not always real-time at your exact location.
Build in a few minutes of lag when storms are close.