Stevenson: The Long Campaign For Coastal Doppler

Incoming storms for western Washington have slammed on the coast without radar detection for the last twenty years. The National Weather Service Doppler radar that is in operation on Camano Island provides excellent service for many inland cities but, the radar beam is blocked from the coast by the Olympic mountains.

After years of campaigning by UW Atmospheric Science professor Cliff Mass and the grass roots efforts of local timber, fishing and crabbing industries our government took notice. Inspired, I wrote numerous letters to local government requesting special consideration for a coastal Doppler radar.

Doppler radar at coast

Years passed and suddenly, a very strong storm struck in December 2007. The impact of the storm was felt by many but the Washington coast and southwest interior were hit the hardest with unrelenting wind and very heavy rain.

Senator Maria Cantwell pushed the progress of obtaining funds for a new Coastal Doppler radar and brought a request of Washington residents to a reality. Over the last five years the research, planning and funding have come together and we are in the final weeks of a new Doppler radar coming in to service for the Washington coastline, on Langley Hill.

Tuesday, September 06, 2011: My day at the new Coastal Doppler radar began with a cool, foggy climb on Langley hill which is 240 feet. The WSR88D radar is in a test phase to monitor operation and make sure data is fed correctly from the site to the NOAA office inland at Sandpoint for interpretation. NWS electronic engineer Don Price was there to manipulate and adjust functions to standard. The KIRO 7 crew was also joined by NWS Meteorologist In Charge Brad Colman and NWS meteorologist Dana Felton. They provided valuable information about the radar, it’s purpose and what it will bring to Washington residents to help protect us from active weather.

The skies cleared from the fog for an amazing view from the third tier of the Doppler. You can see Mt. Rainier, the Olympic mountains and also the Pacific Ocean! Climbing up the stairs was refreshing as we were far above the treetops and some of us got a runny nose as the seabreeze picked up. The height up to the antennae is 114 feet.

While the radar is in test phase, we observed the structure and the process from the inside.

Inside the large white dome, the radome, sits the dish which rotates around 360° and scans the atmosphere at different elevations to read what is in the air. For a complete scan, it takes six minutes. The data is then sent via a T1 line to NWS Sandpoint for interpretation. In case of power loss, the radar has a diesel generator which will smoothly take over and can operate up to 4 days for uninterrupted service.

The radar will be taken out of service for a two week period mid September to install the latest radar technology, Dual Polarization. The combination of a new coastal Doppler radar providing information and dual pol will bring an improved forecast for flooding in our river basins. We will have more accurate estimates of rain rates over specific areas. The radar will be in service at the end of September.

As western Washington approaches the rainy season which builds in November, the Doppler radar will be up, running and in service. Southwest Washington residents that were so heavily impacted by the December 2007 storm which flooded and shut down I-5 will no longer be in the shadow of the Olympics. The Coastal Doppler will provide crucial information to forecasters to create more accurate and timely flood warnings for river basins. Residents of the Washington coast and southwest Washington will now be able to monitor the radar to determine the timing of incoming rain.

While I utilize computer models to make long range forecasts, the new Doppler will allow me to make better real time forecasts for cities like Long Beach and Ocean Shores while also forecasting and monitoring how the weather systems will change over time as they move in to Seattle, Tacoma, Bellingham and Everett.

The new Doppler radar will be an excellent tool, but remember, it won’t buy your emergency kit for you or make an evacuation plan…but it will help you be aware of an incoming threat of dangerous weather conditions.