Tools

National Weather Service Upgrades Doppler Radar

by KREX News Room
by Jordan Sherman

Story Created: Sep 24, 2012 at 4:45 PM MDT

Story Updated: Sep 25, 2012 at 10:49 AM MDT

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.- The National Weather Service has upgraded its radar atop the Grand Mesa, allowing forecasters to access 14 new radar products.

The radar has been upgraded from a conventional Doppler radar to a dual polarization radar.

The largest difference is the amount of data gathered by the dual polarization radar.

Instead of the radar's beam just scanning horizontally to collect data, the radar will conduct vertical scans as well, granting NWS forecasters access to more information.

'We will have better estimation of rainfall rates, better estimation of rainfall totals and that information will be extremely useful when we're monitoring storms that produce heavy rainfall that have the potential for flash flooding," said NWS forecaster Jim Pringle.

The upgrade will also help forecasters during winter weather events.

"The dual polarization Doppler radar should help us better determine snow levels. It should also help us to better determine between rainfall and snowfall," said Pringle.

The upgrade comes as a national initiative to make the country weather ready.

A total of 122 NWS radars are a part of the upgrade, as well as 38 owned by the Federal Aviation Administration and the Air Force.

Add a comment

Name:

Comment: 1000 Characters Left

KREX - News, Weather, Sports for Grand Junction | Montrose | Glenwood Springs - Coverage You Can Count On and its affiliated companies are not responsible for the content of comments posted or for anything arising out of use of the above comments or other interaction among the users. We reserve the right to screen, refuse to post, remove or edit user-generated content at any time and for any or no reason in our absolute and sole discretion without prior notice, although we have no duty to do so or to monitor any Public Forum.

Most Popular
This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.
News Channel 5 Weather