Doppler radar sees wind farms today

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Sioux Falls NEXRAD clearly shows echoes from wind turbines along the Buffalo Ridge northeast of the radar site today. These echoes can be mistaken for showers or thunderstorms.

Wind farms in southern Minnesota and northern Iowa are clearly visible on both the Twin Cities and Sioux Falls doppler radars this morning. The radar echoes often mimic showers or even thunderstorms, and it takes a trained eye to differentiate between the two types of radar returns.

Usually the radar beam will shoot over the top of wind farms at distances from the radar site. But if conditions are right such as a when a temperature inversion is present, an atmospheric process called superrefraction bends the radar beam. The beam can follow the curvature of the earth for over a hunderd miles and bounce back off of the wind turbines.

Take a close look at the Twin Cities doppler image below. You can see the light green smudge of light rain showers north of Eau Claire and a little shower near Mankato. You can also see the bright yellow echoes throughout southern Minnesota and northern Iowa. Those are likely wind farms or some other man made tower. You can see how they could easily be mistaken for heavier showers or thunderstorms. Meterologists seek correlation from other data sources and ground truth to confirm the presence of rainfall.

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You just never know what you're going to see on radar. Hiding among a few spotty showers today? Wind farms. Who knew?

PH