What is “blip” on the 13 WHAM Ultimate Doppler Radar that appears to be a storm all the time in southwestern Wyoming County? Jason, Rochester
This question arises every now and again and although this image can look like an intense thunderstorm in western Wyoming County, you probably notice the colors remain the same even on a clear day. The answer to this mystery is simply the wind turbines that are producing electric power in the higher elevations of Wyoming County. This project which uses the power of the wind has created air turbulence and a false reflectivity on the radar. Most Doppler radars can block the reflectivity when the signal hits a hill or building. But because the turbines are moving the radar cannot make that distinction between rain droplets and turbine blades. This power generator is a 100.5 megawatt wind energy project which was built back in 2008.
