![]() Neither system employed Doppler technology, which provides wind speed and direction information. The radar network consisted of WSR-57 developed in 1957, and WSR-74 developed in 1974. Departments of Commerce, Defense, and Transportation, agreed that to better serve their operational needs, the existing national radar network needed to be replaced. Testbed of the WSR-88D on display at the National Severe Storms Laboratory. NEXRAD has an increased emphasis on automation, including the use of algorithms and automated volume scans. The radar system operates in two basic modes, selectable by the operator – a slow-scanning clear-air mode for analyzing air movements when there is little or no activity in the area, and a precipitation mode, with a faster scan for tracking active weather. It returns data which when processed can be displayed in a mosaic map which shows patterns of precipitation and its movement. NEXRAD detects precipitation and atmospheric movement or wind. Its technical name is WSR-88D ( Weather Surveillance Radar, 1988, Doppler). Air Force within the Department of Defense. NEXRAD or Nexrad ( Next-Generation Radar) is a network of 160 high-resolution S-band Doppler weather radars operated by the National Weather Service (NWS), an agency of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) within the United States Department of Commerce, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) within the Department of Transportation, and the U.S. "One of the beauties of the sensitivity of this Doppler is that we can track smoke, and we can track the intensity of the fire.NEXRAD Radar at the WSR-88D Radar Operations Center. "We gave it its inaugural run up at the Blue Cut Fire up in Cajon Pass," says Coleman. Plus, they can run promos like the one above.Īnd even though it's brand new, the truck's been put to good use covering a cloud of a different kind: smoke plumes from brush fires. It could be sunny and 112 degrees in Palm Springs but raining really hard with a potential for mud slides in a burn area in Santa Barbara."Ĭoleman says the StormRanger will give NBC a leg up on other affiliate stations - the station can cover dramatic weather events quicker and with more precision. "Every one of those microclimates has their own specific needs. "We have nine microclimates in Southern California," says Fritz Coleman, weatherman for the station. Why drop that kind of coin? Especially in a city where rain is so rare? The station called the investment "significant" but wouldn't say how much it all cost - the radar itself retails for around $650,000, though. NBC named the new truck "StormRanger" and the onboard technology is intense: a state of the art doppler radar, five computers, six screens, five keyboards and the ability to transmit real time weather data from anywhere in Southern California. Unlike traditional radars, doppler radars can track the velocity and direction of a storm. Maybe you've seen the ad:ĭoppler, by the way, is a common method of tracking weather using microwave signals. NBC4 recently upped its game with the purchase of a brand new, state of the art truck with a mobile Doppler radar attached to the back. September's showers marked the first rain to touch down in Los Angeles County since May.Ĭovering the weather in Southern California is serious business. The truck's onboard technology includes a state-of-the-art doppler radar, five computers, six screens, five keyboards and the ability to transmit real time weather data from anywhere in Southern California.ĭid you hear? It rained this week. The station called the investment "significant" but wouldn't say how much it all cost - the radar itself retails for around $650,000. It's first fire was the Blue Cut fire in the Cajon Pass. The radar can also be used to track smoke plumes from brush fires. Scott Meadows, a photographer for NBC4, drives the Storm Ranger mobile Doppler radar truck. "Every one of those microclimates has their own specific needs."ĭoppler is a common method of tracking weather using microwave signals. "We have nine microclimates in Southern California," says Fritz Coleman, weatherman for NBC4. NBC4 recently purchased of state-of-the-art truck with a mobile Doppler radar attached to the back.
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