Plain English Meaning

Stuff that shows up on a weather radar picture but isn't really weather. The radar is reporting something that isn't there, or is misreading what is.

Full Definition

False or misleading returns shown on a NEXRAD weather radar display that do not represent actual precipitation. These returns can be caused by ground clutter, anomalous propagation of the radar beam, interference, biological targets such as birds or insects, or processing artifacts in the radar system.

Context Anchor

Seen when interpreting NEXRAD weather images during preflight planning or on a cockpit weather display, especially when a colored area does not match other weather information or what the pilot can see.