Up-to-the-minute, reliable weather coverage is the cornerstone of WRAL News, and keeping viewers safe and informed during severe weather is WRAL meteorologists' top priority. That means utilizing the best weather tools available.
WRAL News has the largest weather team in the local news market, with seven meteorologists on staff. As WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner explains, it's also the exclusive tools available to WRAL News that make the WRAL Severe Weather Center stand out.
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Only WRAL has a dual-pol radar in Wake County
The live DualDoppler5000 radar is always streaming on pugongyingbo.com and in the WRAL News app, so viewers can track rain, hail, sleet and snow at any time.
According to Gardner, the WRAL Severe Weather Center's most important tools are associated with the DualDoppler5000 radar, which tracks precipitation in three dimensions. WRAL's exclusive dual-polarimetric (or dual-pol) radar has two beams that transmit and receive pulses in both horizontal and vertical directions.
WRAL News is the only local station with a dual-pol radar located in Wake County, which is the state's most populated area.
"We're the only station that has a dual-pol radar right in the middle of the Triangle, so our observations of what is going on in the Triangle are much more accurate than anyone else," Gardner explained.
"This means we are 3 to 5 times faster at detecting a tornado debris signature than anyone in the market for the most populated region of our market," WRAL meteorologist Aimee Wilmoth added.
WRAL tools for tornadoes and storms
Another tool exclusive to WRAL News is the ability to detect shear rate, which helps WRAL meteorologists determine if a tornado is forming.
"If we're in severe weather coverage [or] tracking hurricanes, the radar can show us where there's spin in the atmosphere," Gardner said. "That shows us over time how strong the shear is [and] how strong the rotation is, and we can follow the path of it," Gardner explained.
Many of the tools detect storm activity that has already occurred, which helps WRAL meteorologists predict what's coming next -- a critical feature to keeping viewers safe.
"It really lets people know this is a dangerous storm and you need to get to your safe place because this storm has a history of producing a lot of shear, a lot of rotation, a lot of damage," Gardner said. "It's a good tool to show people how dangerous a storm can be."
The dual-pol radar detects rain, snow, sleet and hail based on the shape of the precipitation. According to Gardner, rain falls flat like a pancake, while hail and sleet are round.
The radar also detects debris in the atmosphere, which indicates if a tornado has touched down.
"When a tornado touches down and starts to throw up trees or debris from buildings, the radar picks that up, it can see it," Gardner explained. "Anytime we have debris in the atmosphere, we know a tornado has touched down."
Other exclusive tools WRAL meteorologists use during a tornado or severe storm include:
- Tornado debris swaths, which depict the path of a tornado
- Hail swaths, which show the path of a hail storm
- Model data showing the potential for future lightning
- Model data showing the potential for future hail
- Model data showing the potential for tornadoes and rotation
WRAL tools for tracking hurricanes
WRAL News has an interactive hurricane tracker. During the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs June 1 through Nov. 30, WRAL meteorologists post a daily update on conditions in the tropics, including any threats to North Carolina.
When tracking tropical systems, WRAL News is the only local station that uses the European model to show the probability that a system will develop or strengthen.
"We like to use it because, on average, it is the most accurate model in the world when tracking tropical systems," Wilmoth explained. "We’re able to run the European model several times in a row, changing the initial numbers slightly each time to account for uncertainty that the weather brings. This gives us a range of possibilities in different weather situations."
The development of a tropical system is influenced by multiple factors, including ocean temperatures.
WRAL meteorologists also utilize Baron's hurricane index (BHI), which looks at high-resolution sea surface temperatures, wind shear, ocean heat content, dust concentration and total precipitable water. When combined, these BHI measurements create zones of favorability for tropical development and strengthening.
WRAL tools in extreme heat and cold
Only the WRAL Severe Weather Center tracks road temperatures based on a combination of air and soil temperatures.
Tracking road temperatures helps WRAL meteorologists predict if snow or rain will freeze on roads. In the summer, it's helpful detecting when playground equipment may be too hot for children, or when pavement is too hot for pets.
"We use these to detect the potential for icy roads in the winter," Wilmoth explained. "We also use this to let people know if the ground is too hot to go for dog walks."
WRAL News also has an exclusive current heat exhaustion index map, which can help athletes and coaches determine if it's too hot for outdoor practices.
WRAL tools in winter weather
The Winter Storm Severity Indices (WSSI) from the National Weather Service provides WRAL News and other partners with the ability to track the level and severity of wintry precipitation (snow and ice) and its potential impacts, including:
- Overall impact
- Snow amount
- Snow load
- Ice accumulation
- Flash freeze
- Blowing snow
- Ground blizzard
Why does WRAL have these exclusive tools?
WRAL News is the only local station to use Baron software and data to study and track weather conditions. Baron gives WRAL meteorologists access to several exclusive products, including tools that provide life-saving information when severe weather strikes.
Gardner, who has been at WRAL News for more than 25 years, said the station has been a Baron customer for as long as she can remember.
"Just like any technology, weather technology changes," Gardner explained. "Baron does a great job of updating that technology, and as the years go by they continue to add helpful products that make our forecasting more accurate."
WRAL News+
WRAL News is the only station to stream news, weather and updates 24/7.
WRAL News+ offers 24/7 weather and news coverage on pugongyingbo.com and anywhere you stream WRAL News. During a tornado warning, WRAL News will always be on air, but WRAL News+ enables viewers to get the latest storm coverage or breaking news from their devices -- even during a power outage.
"What this allows us to do is, if we have severe weather that we might not go on TV for, we'll go on News+," Wilmoth explained. "If there is severe weather in your area, you can almost definitely count on going to WRAL News+ and seeing somebody from our team on there keeping people updated on the severe weather threat."
WRAL Storm Tracker
The WRAL Storm Tracker, which launched in 2019, turns WRAL meteorologists and photographers into “storm chasers,” delivering real-time weather coverage as they track severe weather. The 2019 Nissan Titan XD V8 crew cab pickup truck is loaded with cutting-edge radar and transmission gear as well as other technology for real-time, on location storm analysis. Its huge tires, four-wheel drive and lengthy body help meteorologists navigate tricky weather conditions -- but safety always comes first.
During any severe weather event but especially during hurricanes, tropical storms or snow events, WRAL meteorologists and reporters are deployed across the state -- or beyond -- in the areas that will see the greatest impacts. WRAL's large team of meteorologists and reporters means viewers can access live weather coverage from multiple areas during a storm.
It's all to keep people safe and informed.
Want to learn more? Take a tour of the WRAL Severe Weather Center and get to know the WRAL meteorologists.