We rely on the radar to pick up every raindrop from the sky, and it's so good that it sometimes picks up more than just rain. However, there's one spot that the radar can't see.

The "cone of silence" in radar terminology refers to a region directly above a radar antenna where the radar is unable to detect targets effectively. This blind spot occurs because most radar systems are designed to scan the atmosphere at low to moderate elevation angles, typically from just above the horizon up to about 20 or 30 degrees.

As a result, the area directly overhead, where the elevation angle approaches 90 degrees, is not adequately covered by the radar beam, creating a cone-shaped zone of minimal or no radar coverage.

This phenomenon is especially relevant for ground-based weather or surveillance radars, where coverage is needed primarily at horizontal distances rather than directly overhead.

When a storm passes through the cone of silence, the radar may momentarily lose track of it or provide incomplete data. This can create gaps in precipitation data or make it harder to track vertically developing storms.

To mitigate the effects of the cone of silence, radar networks are often designed with overlapping coverage areas. Multiple radars can work in tandem, with one radar's cone of silence being covered by the operational range of another nearby radar.

This approach is common in national weather radar systems, ensuring more complete atmospheric monitoring and reducing the chance of missing critical data due to blind spots.

Jennifer Gray is a weather and climate writer for weather.com. She has been covering some of the world's biggest weather and climate stories for the last two decades.