Which radar signature, when observed, suggests hail and potential microburst development?

• A. High-reflectivity patterns and appropriate velocity patterns
• B. Low-reflectivity patterns
• C. No velocity data
• D. Velocity-only patterns with no reflectivity data

Answer: (A)

Hail and microburst potential show up when you have a strong hail core in the reflectivity field combined with wind-field patterns that reveal a vigorous downdraft and outflow. High reflectivity indicates large ice particles like hail, especially when core values are substantial. Paired with velocity data, you can see the storm’s dynamics: a strong updraft feeding hail and a subsequent powerful downdraft driving a gust front, which often manifests as a pronounced divergence or a sharp velocity couplet at low levels. This combination is the clearest sign that hail is present and that the storm could produce a microburst. Seeing only low reflectivity misses the hail signal, and lacking velocity data prevents assessing the wind structure; velocity-only data without reflectivity misses the hail core altogether.