Camano Island Doppler Offline For Upgrades

The Doppler radar that has protected western Washington for the last few decades has been taken offline.  Not permanently.  It is getting more than a facelift, the Doppler radar on Camano Island is getting an upgrade of technology called dual polarization.

 While the excitement of data flowing from the new Doppler radar is in full swing, and the ribbon cutting ceremony is on Thursday, the coastal Doppler is the one in service currently and being watched for incoming storms for a short time frame.  The coastal Doppler has dual polarization installed and operational.

The refreshed and refurbished Doppler radar on Camano Island  is expected to go back online October 5^th at the latest.  This will mark the next step of Washington state being the first state of the union to be fully outfitted and protected by dual polarization.  Spokane, Pendleton, Portland, Seattle and the Washington coast NWS Doppler’s will all be upgraded to the new technology by the end of October.

Dual polarization is a new technology that by studying the different outputs, can:

*Inform the meteorologist of where the most intense and heavy rain is located.

 *It can aid the forecaster in determining the freezing level which in turn will allow a more accurate forecast of the elevation in which snow will accumulate.

*It can display areas where precipitation changes:  where snow is mixing with rain and where  the precipitation is shifting to all snow. 

*Because dual polarization allows the forecaster a determination of the size, height and width, and speed and direction of the targets the beam is picking up, the forecaster can better determine hail from heavy rain and even migrating birds.

*Other advantages of dual pol will be used more frequently in other parts of the United States where tornadoes are a seasonal occurrence.  The forecaster can more easily see a tornado even when wrapped in heavy rain and also determine debris fields associated with the tornado.

Dual polarization is a new technology that National Weather Service meteorologists have been training in the last few months and practicing on.  Like any new technology, it will take a period of time to learn the ins and outs of the data and make sure that we can quickly find the data we need.  I’ll compare it to receiving a brand new cell phone from a different company…it takes time to learn the tricks and short cuts of the service! 

It is a very exciting time for the weather community and for you,  KIRO viewers, as we introduce the new technology to you.  I know that an accurate forecast helps you plan your day and your events and KIRO 7 and my self are committed to bringing you the most current conditions, timely and accurate forecasts and warnings.  See you from 5pm to 6:30pm and 11pm weeknights, your Chief meteorologist, Rebecca Stevenson.