NWS Explains Mysterious Objects on Radar Near MN-WI Border

The National Weather Service says the idea of radar began in the late 1800s, and the military first used the technology during World War II. The U.S. initially used it to detect incoming planes, but radar operators soon realized it could also pick up weather patterns. In 1942, the NWS received 25 radar units as a donation, and from there, the technology evolved.

Today, radar is much more advanced and is commonly used by people through smartphone apps. Here in Minnesota, we use it to track rain and snow, but sometimes it picks up strange objects that meteorologists need to investigate.

Minnesota Has Two National Weather Service Offices

These offices, located in Duluth and Chanhassen (Twin Cities NWS),  issue weather, water, climate forecasts, and warnings to the public, the media, emergency services, and other agencies. They are staffed 24/7, every day of the year.

The meteorologists at the NWS offices in Minnesota track weather across the entire state, but they also get help from other NWS offices, including the one in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

The team in La Crosse assists by monitoring weather that could impact Rochester and southeast Minnesota, as well as western Wisconsin. It was this team that detected something on the radar that wasn’t rain or snow.

NWS Explains Mysterious Object on Radar Near MN-WI Border

Rain? Nope. Snow? Nope.

Last week, The NWS in La Crosse confirmed the green and yellow areas on the radar map were caused by birds!