Plain English Meaning
A number on the weather radar that tells you how heavy the precipitation is. The higher the number, the bigger and more intense the rain, snow, or hail in that area.
Full Definition
A logarithmic unit used by weather radar to express how strongly precipitation reflects the radar's signal back to the antenna. Higher dBZ values indicate larger and more numerous precipitation particles, which generally correspond to heavier rainfall, hail, or more intense storms. On standard NEXRAD displays, dBZ values are color-coded, with light rain typically shown around 20 dBZ and severe thunderstorms exceeding 50 dBZ.
Context Anchor
Seen on weather radar images and radar observation products, often tied to the colors showing .