PRIMUSr 880 Digital Weather Radar System
N
AD- 15560- R1@
Typical Hook Pattern
Figure 5- 42
The hooks are located at the right rear side of the thunderstorm echo’s direction of movement (usually the southwest quadrant).
The hook is not the tornado echo! A small scale low pressure area is centered at the right rear side of the thunderstorm echo near its edge. The low usually ranges from about 3 to 10 miles in diameter. Precipitation is drawn around the low’s cyclonic circulation to form the characteristic hook shape. Tornadoes form within the low near hook. According to statistics from the NSSL, almost 60 percent of all observed hook echoes have tornadoes associated with them. A tornado is always suspected when a hook echo is seen.
A hook can form with no tornadoes and vice versa. However, when a bona fide hook is observed on a weather radar, moderate or greater turbulence, strong shifting surface winds, and hail are often nearby and aircraft should avoid them.
A28- 1146- 102- 00 | Radar Facts |
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