SCAN stands for System for Convection Analysis and Nowcasting.
Convection is a mechanism for heat transfer.
In the atmosphere, convection can produce rising air currents and thunderstorms. SCAN detects, analyses, and monitors thunderstorms and generates short-term forecasts and warning information for severe and tornadic thunderstorms and flash floods. SCAN is a tool to help warning forecasters make better decisions. The amount of data available to forecasters in the modernized NWS is enormous. Information overload for forecasters can be a real problem during critical weather situations when knowing what to look at and why can make the difference between issuing timely warning that saves peoples' lives and issuing no warning at all.