TDWR High Definition Radar Now Available at Wunderground.com

* Reuters is not responsible for the content in this press release.

Mon Jun 1, 2009 5:01am EDT 

  SAN FRANCISCO, CA, Jun 01 (MARKET WIRE) -- 
Weather Underground, the nation's first online weather service, today
announced that its high definition radar product now provides
interactive, animated radar maps for all of the 45 major US airports
where Terminal Doppler Weather Radar (TDWR) has been installed by the FAA.

    This high-resolution data has generally not been available to the public
until now. Thanks to collaboration between the National Weather Service
(NWS) and the FAA, the data for all 45 TDWRs is now available via a free
satellite broadcast (NOAAPORT).

    http://www.wunderground.com/radar/map.asp

    Weather Underground users will now be able to view greater detail within
storms and even pick out the detailed structures of tornadoes and other
important weather features. Whereas regular radar enables people to view
the pathes of storms neighborhood by neighborhood, the high definition
TDWR provides block-by-block detail. The TDWR data can also be plotted as
a layer on Weather Underground's WunderMap, the world's most interactive
weather map.

    For an in-depth analysis of the benefits of TDWR radar, please visit the
widely read blog of Weather Underground's Director of Meteorology, Dr.
Jeff Masters at:

    http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=1168

    About TDWR

    The Terminal Doppler Weather Radar (TDWR) is an advanced technology
weather radar deployed near 45 of the larger airports in the U.S. The
radars were developed and deployed by the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) beginning in 1994, as a response to several disastrous jetliner
crashes in the 1970s and 1980s caused by strong thunderstorm winds. The
crashes occurred because of wind shear -- a sudden change in wind speed
and direction. Wind shear is common in thunderstorms, due to a downward
rush of air called a microburst or downburst. The TDWRs can detect such
dangerous wind shear conditions, and have been instrumental in enhancing
aviation safety in the U.S. over the past 15 years. The TDWRs also
measure the same quantities as our familiar network of 148 NEXRAD WSR-88D
Doppler radars -- precipitation intensity, winds, rainfall rate, echo
tops, etc. However, the newer Terminal Doppler Weather Radars are higher
resolution, and can "see" details in much finer detail close to the radar.

    About Weather Underground

    The nation's first online weather service, Weather Underground is
committed to delivering the most comprehensive, reliable weather
information possible. The company's state-of-the-art technology monitors
conditions and forecasts for locations across the world. With thousands
of international users contributing local observations from personal
weather stations, Weather Underground is able to provide up-to-the-minute
weather conditions for the most finely targeted areas. In addition to
serving free online weather information to millions of Web users, Weather
Underground delivers custom-designed weather page solutions to an array
of businesses and media clients -- both online and in print.

    Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=993396


Media Contact
Toby Skinner
415-983-2611
press@wunderground.com

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