Plain English Meaning
The way weather shows up on the radar screens used by air traffic controllers. The screens show where rain or storms are and how heavy the precipitation is, so controllers can tell pilots what's ahead and help them avoid the worst of it.
Full Definition
The presentation of precipitation intensity on Air Traffic Control radar scopes, used by controllers to identify areas of weather and provide pilots with information, advisories, or vectors around significant precipitation. ATC radar detects precipitation returns and displays them in intensity levels (light, moderate, heavy, extreme), allowing controllers to describe weather location, movement, and intensity to on their .