Transcript RadarUpdate2011Final.ppt

The Status of the Weather Radar
Acquisition for the Washington Coast
May 13, 2011
Cliff Mass
Department of Atmospheric Sciences
University of Washington
YOU KNOW THE
PROBLEM!
Radar coverage for the
lowest beam (.5 degree
elevation angle) for the
current network. Red
areas indicate no
coverage below 8000 m
(25,000 ft). Radar
coverage calculations by
Ken Westrick
There Has Been Lots of Movement
on the Acquisition and Installation
of the New Coastal Radar
The Location is Decided:
Langley Hill
• 3 miles east of Copalis Beach, a coastal
town.
• On a 250 ft wooded hill.
On March 18th a lease for the land
was signed; days later construction
was initiated
The Concrete Base for the Tower is
In!
The ID will be KGLX
KGLX is also a Gallup, NM
Country Music Station
What Will The Radar See?
Coverage at
2000, 4000
and 10,000 ft
above the
radar site.
Coverage Analysis by UW’s Dr.
Socorro Medina
Beam blockage at 0.0° elevation angle for different radar locations
(using ~1 km resolution terrain and a 30 m tower)
Beam blockage at 0.5° elevation angle for different radar locations
(using ~1 km resolution terrain and a 30 m tower)
Beam blockage at 1.0° elevation angle for different radar locations
(using ~1 km resolution terrain and a 30 m tower)
Beam blockage at 1.5° elevation angle for different radar locations
(using ~1 km resolution terrain and a 30 m tower)
Beam blockage at 2.0° elevation angle for different radar locations
(using ~1 km resolution terrain and a 30 m tower)
We Got A Taste of the Value of a
Coastal Weather Radar During
the IMPROVE Field Program in
January-February 2001
Westport S-Pol Radar (January-February 2001)
Reflectivity from S-Pol radar at Westport
0031 UTC 2 Feb 2001 at 0.5 degree elevation
dBZ
It will be a used radar!
Why? There was enough money
for new!
• A used WSR-88D radar (same as the rest of
the network) was available from the Air
Force.
• The WSR-88Ds have been modernized over
the years.
• The NWS was nervous about maintaining a
different radar
• The Langley Hill radar would be
refurbished and updated before installation
After Refurbishing
The First (and ONLY) National
Weather Service Radar With A
Zero-Degree Elevation Angle
Distance-Height Diagram for Zero Degree and
Standard 88-D Elevation Angles
Note the absence of low-level coverage of the standard .5 degree
elevation angle at greater distances (more than 100 km out). The zero
degree angle provides a major improvement in coverage at long ranges in
the critical lower atmosphere.
One of the first dual-polarized
NWS radars in the U.S.
Advantages of Polarized Radars
• Can use to determine precipitation type.
• Can be used to determine more accurate
precipitation intensity.
• Far better in securing precipitation intensity
in complex terrain when there is partial
beam blockage.
Schedule
• The tower should be up during June.
• Strong assurances by NWS folks that the
radar would be operational by the end of
THIS September!
• This will be a neutral ENSO year with the
potential for big storms.
Acknowledgments
Senator Maria Cantwell: played crucial
role in gaining resources for the radar
Plus The Active Lobbying By a
Long List of Regional
Meteorologists, Businesses, Local
Governments, Environmental
Groups, and Others.
The End
The right
diagram indicates
the effective
coverage of the
Weather Service
radars for all
elevation angles
at 10,000 ft
above mean sea
level, with
hatching
indicating
substantial
blockage.