What does high reflectivity (dBZ) indicate on weather radar?

• A. Heavier precipitation and convective activity.
• B. Light precipitation only.
• C. No precipitation; only clouds.
• D. Wind speed.

Answer: (A)

High reflectivity on weather radar means the radar is returning a strong signal because there are many or large precipitation particles in the air. The dBZ scale is a logarithmic measure of the radar return, so higher dBZ values indicate more energy bouncing back, which corresponds to heavier precipitation and often convective activity like thunderstorms. This happens when updrafts loft larger droplets or hail, producing intense returns. It isn’t a measure of wind speed (that’s a Doppler capability) and it isn’t just clouds without precipitation—pure clouds usually give little to no reflectivity. So high dBZ specifically points to heavier precipitation and often strong convective storms.