Windshear Products
Windshear products are specialized radar outputs designed to detect and visualize sudden changes in wind speed and direction over short distances, which can pose significant hazards to aviation and severe weather operations. These products process Doppler velocity data to identify shear zones, microbursts, or gust fronts, providing clear, actionable insights rather than raw velocity fields.
Horizontal absolute shear is a radar-derived parameter that indicates the magnitude of the horizontal radial velocity shear vector at a user-defined Constant Altitude Plan Position Indicator (CAPPI).
Horizontal cyclonic shear is a radar-derived product from Doppler velocity at a user-defined CAPPI level. Typical values around 5 m/s indicate mesocyclones within non-tornadic supercells, whereas values exceeding 15 m/s within the mesocyclone of a supercell indicate an increased potential for tornado formation.
The algorithm estimates a measure of turbulence within the precipitation. The turbulent environment is highlighted by yellow and orange colors that correspond to values from 0.2 to 0.6 (m^2/s^3)^1⁄2. Very strong turbulence that accompanies mainly the severe thunderstorms is visualized by red and purple colors that correspond to values from 0.6 to 1 (m^2/s^3)^1⁄2. The product’s purpose is to identify regions of severe turbulence.
A gust front is formed by the outflowing air produced by convective storms, typically as cool, dense air spreads outward from the downdraft region of a thunderstorm. This boundary separates the storm’s outflow from the surrounding warmer air. Gust fronts can pose a significant hazard due to the strong, sometimes sudden surface winds they generate. Detection of gust fronts relies not only on polarimetric radar variables, but also on sharp gradients in Doppler velocity observed along the leading edge of the outflow.