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we are able to obtain a better feel for the overall meteorological conditions prior to and during operations. Although TV provides local area forecasters' analysis, breaking news about weather warnings and NEXRAD radar displays, TV is not relied upon as much as WKWMP sources of information, that is, our own radar, personal observations, Internet radar displays and DTN. In order to reduce hail effectively, it is very important to be able to identify a severe storm early in its growth stage and to begin seeding it as quickly as possible. Recognition of non-severe storms as opposed to potentially destructive ones requires a certain degree of expertise. At some point WKWMP pilots 'and meteorologists all acquire an ability to distinguish visually between these two types of clouds with a fairly high level of reliability...a very important aid in getting flights launched early. We prefer not to wait until high radar reflectivity in clouds is seen on radar before launching a seeding plane. In rapidly growing clouds, cloud droplet sizes are not large enough to be "seen" on radar until relatively late after the initial development of a severe storm. WKWMP personnel watch for this rapid, vigorous storm growth in order to . be able to deploy in the shortest time possible. Radar does become an indispensable tool in the identification and tracking of severe storms once they form and at night. WKGMD *1 owns all the equipment used on the WKWMP. The type of radar systems used by the WKWMP are the Enterprise Electronics Corporation (EEC) WR-100, a 5-cm wavelength model similar to many weather radars in use previously by the National Weather Service, which have been replaced rather recently by the 10-centimeter --waveloengt-h~NE-}fRAD-Doppler- systems. - ---- ___u U&ing a computer-interfaced radar system allows us to quickly analyze clouds for hail potential. The height of the 45 dBZ intensity' contour within a cloud is - evaluated against a "hail threshold" computed daily. The height of the 45 dBZ intensity level within clouds is used as a test for determining the crop-damaging hail potential in storms and its destructive potential relative to another storm. It provides definitive information which is crucial in making operational decisions regarding aircraft guidance. Output is displayed in colored contours on a monitor. The techniques to determine hail potential in clouds, employed by the WKWMP, have been used continuously since 1985. Although one person can operate the system, it works best if the meteorologist concentrates upon aircraft operations in progress while his assistant operates the computer and collects weather data updates for the meteorologist's examination. During operations the meteorological assistant also moves radar data to the Internet and into a looping display showing a short history of storm movements for the scrutiny of the radar meteorologist. The information acquired by the assistant during operations provides much-needed meteorological input for effective aircraft guidance. 18