Narrative:

The ground controllers were sending aircraft to various runways for changing WX conditions. We were sent to runway 34 for a north departure. As we sat in line for departure on runway 34; we monitored the tower frequency and listened to the WX updates for our runway as well as the other runways. The tower reported aircraft on approach were getting gains and losses on various arrival runways. We did not hear any specific WX advisories for runway 34 and monitored the aircraft; which departed ahead of us. They sent no PIREPS back to the tower; nor did they appear to have any problems on departure. We continued to discuss the changing WX. After lining up on the runway for takeoff; we did 1 check on the WX radar and saw an area of precipitation to the west of the runway. This WX was also visible to us and moving east. There was an assigned 010 degree departure heading. This heading kept us away from the WX and visually out to blue skies. On departure and approximately 600 ft AGL; we received a windshear warning and followed the windshear escape maneuver. Power was advanced until we were out of the windshear condition. The first officer flew the aircraft and coordinated with approach control while I talked to the company dispatcher and maintenance coordinator. An emergency was declared and we started to prepare for a return to ZZZ. We monitored the WX at the airport and understood that there were still some unstable WX conditions on the arrival. We did not want to perform a go around once we were on final and advised approach control that we would wait for better WX conditions at the field. We eventually conducted an uneventful landing and taxied back to the gate. Local maintenance met the aircraft upon arrival.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 ENCOUNTERED WINDSHEAR ON INITIAL CLIMBOUT. WINDSHEAR RECOVERY PROCEDURES WERE INITIATED; FLT CREW DECLARED EMER; AND THE FLT RETURNED FOR LNDG.

Narrative: THE GND CTLRS WERE SENDING ACFT TO VARIOUS RWYS FOR CHANGING WX CONDITIONS. WE WERE SENT TO RWY 34 FOR A N DEP. AS WE SAT IN LINE FOR DEP ON RWY 34; WE MONITORED THE TWR FREQ AND LISTENED TO THE WX UPDATES FOR OUR RWY AS WELL AS THE OTHER RWYS. THE TWR RPTED ACFT ON APCH WERE GETTING GAINS AND LOSSES ON VARIOUS ARR RWYS. WE DID NOT HEAR ANY SPECIFIC WX ADVISORIES FOR RWY 34 AND MONITORED THE ACFT; WHICH DEPARTED AHEAD OF US. THEY SENT NO PIREPS BACK TO THE TWR; NOR DID THEY APPEAR TO HAVE ANY PROBS ON DEP. WE CONTINUED TO DISCUSS THE CHANGING WX. AFTER LINING UP ON THE RWY FOR TKOF; WE DID 1 CHK ON THE WX RADAR AND SAW AN AREA OF PRECIP TO THE W OF THE RWY. THIS WX WAS ALSO VISIBLE TO US AND MOVING E. THERE WAS AN ASSIGNED 010 DEG DEP HDG. THIS HDG KEPT US AWAY FROM THE WX AND VISUALLY OUT TO BLUE SKIES. ON DEP AND APPROX 600 FT AGL; WE RECEIVED A WINDSHEAR WARNING AND FOLLOWED THE WINDSHEAR ESCAPE MANEUVER. PWR WAS ADVANCED UNTIL WE WERE OUT OF THE WINDSHEAR CONDITION. THE FO FLEW THE ACFT AND COORDINATED WITH APCH CTL WHILE I TALKED TO THE COMPANY DISPATCHER AND MAINT COORDINATOR. AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND WE STARTED TO PREPARE FOR A RETURN TO ZZZ. WE MONITORED THE WX AT THE ARPT AND UNDERSTOOD THAT THERE WERE STILL SOME UNSTABLE WX CONDITIONS ON THE ARR. WE DID NOT WANT TO PERFORM A GAR ONCE WE WERE ON FINAL AND ADVISED APCH CTL THAT WE WOULD WAIT FOR BETTER WX CONDITIONS AT THE FIELD. WE EVENTUALLY CONDUCTED AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AND TAXIED BACK TO THE GATE. LCL MAINT MET THE ACFT UPON ARR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.