Data was collected on magnetic tapes and processed on a NASA computer post event due to the lack of real-time capability at the time.

[1] In the early 1940s, radar operators throughout Europe observed that, when using radar to track objects otherwise concealed due to distance, haze, or otherwise, precipitation was also visible, causing issues when it came to masking and objects within cores of precipitation.

Into the late-1940s, scientists from Europe and the United States began to expand on the idea of radar for meteorological applications.

[2] Initially, the NSSL acquired a 3 cm Doppler research radar, which, for the first time, was able to measure object motion within a thunderstorm.

However, it was quickly found that 3 cm Wavelength radars were not sufficient for large-scale detection of severe weather.