Meteorologists use many different graphics on TV, and I'd like to comment on one that can be a little confusing. It's the graphic in which satellite and radar imagery is combined - on such images, clouds are shown in white and precipitation usually in green.

First, putting the two together perpetuates the misconception that radar data comes from satellites. Though there is ongoing research aimed at measuring rainfall from space, it's important to know that traditional weather radars are ground-based instruments.

Then there's the matter of radar coverage and satellite coverage being different. The radar network covers nearly the entire country, but radar coverage does not extend very far out into the oceans or into Canada. Satellites, on the other hand, provide a full view. So on a combination satellite/radar image, a nor'easter or hurricane coming up the East Coast will be fully shown on the satellite image, but only the part of the storm nearest land will be seen by radar. It makes for a misleading, and sometimes strange-looking, picture.

Imagery from accuweather.com