The "Cone of Silence". No, not Get Smart!

The "cone of silence" may refer to the sound proof area on the show Get Smart, but in weather terms, it refers to the area right above a radar that cannot been seen by the radar.

A typical Nataional Weather Service radar has a maximum tilt elevation of 19.5°. That means that as it scans around, the highest the radar can see is 19.5° above the earth's surface. Becasue of this, there is a large hole in the data created right over top of the radar. You can see rain all around it, but not above it.

They are tough to see unless you have rain over the radar, but when you do they are easy to spot. This image shows an example of a cone of silence. Notice the hole in the radar relfectivity data. The radar itself is located right in the middle of that hole.

Because of the cone of silence, radar sites are generally placed at sites away from a population center. This is so that you can get accurate data for the most densely populated areas. They are also placed outside of urban areas because tall buildings can block the radar, literally blocking the view of the radar.

Now , for those of you old enough to remember the "Get Smart" version of the cone of silence, the next time it comes up you'll have a little tidbit of information to add to the conversation ...and you know how often that comes up!