Advanced weather radar coming to mid-Missouri

COLUMBIA, MO -- A new and advanced weather radar will soon be scanning the sky of mid-Missouri.

The new radar coming to mid-Missouri will help meteorologists better understand and forecast whats going on in the sky above our area.

Doppler radar has been around since World War II, but has gone through many upgrades since then.

The new radar will be located in southeast Columbia at the Jefferson Institute.

Dr. Patrick Market, a University of Missouri atmospheric science professor, explained how the new radars primary objective will be research.

"The purpose of the radar at the research level is to create rainfall maps for the Hinkson creek water shed... to allow one of our professors to develop a better understanding of nutrient transport throughout that water shed," Dr. Market said.

Essentially, the University is going to compare radar data to water collected in rain gauges. Researchers are doing this so they can construct higher resolution and higher quality maps of how nutrients like nitrogen flow through the eco-system.

While the main function of this new radar is for research, therewill bean operational aspect to it as well. The radar will give meteorologists a new view of the atmosphere above mid-Missouri.

KRCG 13 was the first TV station in mid-Missouri to construct a radar. The StormVision Radar allows KRCG 13s meteorologists to see precipitation and rotation close to the surface. KRCG 13s radar, coupled with the new dual-polarized radar at the University will help meteorologists pinpoint different forms of precipitation during all four seasons.

Doppler radar sends out a horizontal pulse of energy into the atmosphere, but dual-pol radar sends those pulses out in both horizontally and vertically. Sending out both pulses of energy will allow meteorologists to determine the shape of precipitation and other objects in the atmosphere.

"The dual-pol capabilities allows you to get a slightly better idea about the type of precipitation that happens to be in the cloud. Rain verses snow, Dr. Market said.

Meteorologists will now also be able to detect non-meteorological targets like birds and insects.

Another interesting fact about this radar that has nothing to do with research and severe weather is it was built in St. Louis.

EWR Radar in the St. Louis suburb of Kirkwood is in the final stages of finishing the new radar. Richard Chappuis, a Mizzou Alumni himself, explained how proud EWR Radar is to be supporting the University of Missouri.

"It's really cool to be a part of the University of Missouri - Columbia's research project. EWR Radar, founded in 1982, is a very proud company. The fact that our largest University, our flag-ship university, needed a weather radar and we were selected, it makes us very proud to be to not only be from Missouri, but also supporting the University of Missouri, Chappuis said.

If everything stays on schedule, the radar will be up and operational by June 30.

Source: http://www.connectmidmissouri.com/news/story.aspx?id%3D1206814