Portsmouth, VA Weather Radar and Cloud Cover

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Local Base Reflectivity & Infrared Satellite Views

Live and forecasted Radar, Precipitation, Cloud Cover, Temperatures, Wind Velocity, and Barometric Pressure data on a map for the next 5 days can be viewed incremements of 5 mins for current weather radar in Portsmouth.

Current Weather in Portsmouth

National Radar Map

For Official Radar, See: NWS

What does dBZ mean?

dBZ stands for decibels of Z, where "Z" refers to the radar reflectivity factor, which measures the strength of the radar signal reflected back to the radar from precipitation particles like rain, snow, or hail.

dBZ is a logarithmic scale (i.e. exponential growth) that quantifies the amount of energy reflected by objects (typically raindrops, snowflakes, or other hydrometeors) in the atmosphere. The higher the dBZ value, the stronger the reflected signal, which typically means heavier precipitation; the contrasting colors on the radar maps above help visualize intensity and type.

Here's how dBZ values relate to the intensity of precipitation:

10-20 dBZ: Light rain or very light precipitation.
20-30 dBZ: Moderate rain or light snow.
30-40 dBZ: Heavy rain or moderate snow.
40-50 dBZ: Very heavy rain, potential for hail or strong thunderstorms.
50+ dBZ: Extreme precipitation, often associated with intense thunderstorms, tornadoes, or hailstorms.

This weather radar report is relevant for ZIP codes from 23701 through 23709, accurately covering all areas within Portsmouth, VA.