Plain English Meaning

Normally, the air gets colder as you go up. In a temperature inversion, it gets warmer as you go up for a while. This flipped layer can bend radar beams in unexpected ways, so the radar picture may show things in the wrong place or not at all.

Full Definition

An atmospheric condition in which temperature increases with altitude instead of decreasing. The warmer air sits above cooler air near the surface, reversing the normal vertical temperature pattern. Inversions can bend or trap radar and radio signals, causing radar returns to display targets at incorrect ranges or to miss targets entirely.

Context Anchor

Seen in discussions of radar limitations, especially when weather or atmospheric conditions affect how well ground-based radar can .