Wind turbines may interfere with radar on weather apps

LINCOLN, Ill. (AP) — Wind farms in central Illinois may be interfering with the radar on weather apps, and residents should watch out for such disparities when using the resources, according to local meteorologists.

Chris Miller, a warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Lincoln, told The (Bloomington) Pantagraph that the massive turbines and the amount of wind they generate can interfere with nearby Doppler radar.

Radar can sometimes display what appears to be rain or storm in the area, when it's actually wind from a farm. Farms from 20 to 100 miles (32 to 160 kilometers) away can influence readings, depending on atmospheric conditions, Miller said.