The National Weather Service is responsible for keeping track of the weather patterns, trends and current conditions in the United States. To do so, there is a large network of National Weather Service radars that help gather this information. From the radar images, data is interpreted and updated constantly to keep all information current.

Experts whose specialty is to interpret the data monitor the National Weather Service radars. They then publish some of their images and findings on their website and in other media, such as radio and television. All these avenues serve to help us understand the weather conditions and patterns in our own backyards.

The National Weather Service radars use NEXROD, or Next Generation Radar technology and Doppler radars. There are generally four types of data and images that are produced from these radars. They are base reflectivity, composite reflectivity, one-hour total rainfall and storm total rainfall. All these images make up the full picture of storm and weather predictions.

National Weather Service Radars are located in each state except all the New England states that are small and can be serviced by the same handful of radars. There is also one above Puerto Rico and one above Guam. Some areas have a higher concentration of National Weather Service Radars than others, which probably has to do with the conditions of a given area. Such a large occurrence of radars allows for more accurate readings.

Satellite images are available to view online, but you may need some guidance when interpreting them. There are plenty of resources both in books and online that can help. Even if you are not an expert, it is still beneficial to learn how to read the National Weather Service radar imagery. So much of our lives are dependent on the weather. Following the weather patterns can help enhance the quality of our own lives.