MAX: Maximum Data with Side Panels

MAX shows the maximum data over each pixel as well as the East-West and North-South maximum projects in side panes.

The MAX product provides an easy-to-interpret presentation of the echo height and intensity in a single display. It is especially useful for displaying areas of severe weather.

Figure 1. Example MAX Display
Because the radar cannot see to the surface of the Earth, there are curved boundaries at the bottom of the side panels.

MAX is based on a volume scan task and is calculated as follows:

  1. Construct a series of CAPPI products to span the selectable layer, spaced uniformly over the height interval. The number used is the larger of one for every 500 meters (1640 ft 5 in) or one for every 2 pixels of side panel size, up to a maximum of 50. The values are interpolated to create the side panel image.

  2. Determine the maximum data values for the horizontal and vertical projections: East-West and North-South.

    • The horizontal maximum projection is calculated from the highest data value in a user-specified layer over each pixel.

    • The E-W maximum projection is obtained from the maximum data for each pixel along the corresponding N-S line.

    • The N-S maximum projection is obtained from the maximum data along E-W lines.

  3. Smoothing, if enabled.