Abstract
The mean radar echo characteristics during the Genesis of Atlantic Lows Experiment (GALE) are presented for the southeastern United States during the 15 January–15 March 1986 field phase of the program. The echo characteristics were derived from the operational National Weather Service (NWS) WSR-57 10 cm network radars. Radar echo frequency and intensity were subjectively tabulated on a 0.5° latitude-longitude grid from objectively contoured three hourly NWS maps routinely transmitted over facsimile. The objectively contoured maps were derived from manually digitized radar observations at each NWS radar location.
The principal findings include: 1) a greater occurrence of VIP intensity level 1 and greater echoes in the coastal waters from Georgia to North Carolina; 2) a concentrated region of VIP intensity level 1,3 and 5 radar echoes ∼100 km cast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina along the edge of the Gulf Stream; 3) a considerably greater likelihood of offshore versus onshore radar echoes along the Carolina coastal strip and 4) a tendency for maximum echo coverage through the afternoon hours until raid-evening with minimum echo coverage near sunrise along the immediate coastal strip from Georgia to North Carolina. These findings should be considered preliminary pending completion of a more comprehensive analysis using multiple data sources over a longer time period.
