1. The Status of the Weather Radar Acquisition for the Washington Coast Cliff Mass Department of Atmospheric Sciences University of Washington

2. the NWS installed a network of powerful Doppler Weather
During the early 90s,
the NWS installed a network of powerful Doppler Weather
radars, aka
NEXRAD
WSR88D

3. NWS Radar Sites

4. But there was a major problem in the Pacific Northwest...
The two NW radars (Camano Island, WA and Portland, OR) were placed east of the Olympics and Coastal Mountains and thus the radar beams were generally blocked before they reached the coast.

5. Radar coverage for the lowest beam (
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

6. 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.

8. Northwest Coastal Radar Problem
The Pacific Northwest has the worst coastal radar coverage of any region of the lower 48-states.
There is virtually no radar coverage for the lower atmosphere over the coastal zone and the near-shore waters.
Such poor coverage exists for a region of often intense storms AND a great deal of military, shipping, fishing and other marine traffic.

9. The Obvious Answer: Secure Additional Radars for the Coast!

10. Coverage for Lowest Elevation Angle (.5 degrees)
Now
With Two New Radars

11. We Got A Taste of the Value of a Coastal Weather Radar During the IMPROVE Field Program in January-February 2001

12. Westport S-Pol Radar (January-February 2001)

14. Reflectivity from S-Pol radar at Westport 0031 UTC 2 Feb 2001 at 0
Reflectivity from S-Pol radar at Westport UTC 2 Feb 2001 at 0.5 degree elevation
dBZ

15. Years in the Wilderness
For roughly ten years a number of local meteorologists called for the acquisition of additional coastal weather radars, with one positioned on the central Washington Coast.
This went nowhere until three things happened in 2007 and 2008.

16. The First: The Big Storm of December 2-4, 2007

17. The results: massive landslides and river flooding
Dec. 2-3, inches in two days over coastal terrain of SW Washington
Pictures courtesy of WSDOT
The results: massive landslides and river flooding

18. Hurricane-Force Gusts for Nearly 24h Along the Coast

19. Second: Growing Support for the Coastal Radar
Northwest Weather Modeling Consortium
Friends of Gray’s Harbor
Crab Industry, Fishers, and Oystermen
Audubon Society
Port Blakely Tree Farms
Cities and Counties
Puget Sound Clean Air Agency
Editorials in major local papers

22. The Third: Senator Maria Cantwell

23. Senator Cantwell Not Only Appreciated the Importance of a Coastal Radar But Secured the Funding
2 million dollars of stimulus funding
7 million dollars in the budget

24. Current Status
The National Weather Service is now committed to installing and operating the radar.
It will be a powerful S-band (10-cm wavelength) Doppler radar like the current NEXRAD units.
It will be a be a dual-polarized radar, which the current radars are not.
(Dual-pol radars allow determination of precipitation type and better estimates of intensity.)

25. Where will the radar be located?
Using stimulus funds, the National Weather Service hired SRI International to do a site survey.
The University of Washington (Socorro Medina) did an independent analysis and provided it to SRI.
A draft siting report is out with possible locations, with one recommended. It will be released in March.

26. I am limited on what I can reveal, but…

27. Some hints!
The sites are in Gray’s Harbor County, within 10 miles of the coast.

28. Some Locations Examined by the UW

29. N. Central Langley Park - Hill – Site 6 Site 12 Scar Hill –
Beam blockage at 0.0° elevation angle for different radar locations (using ~1 km resolution terrain and a 30 m tower)
N. Central
Park -
Site 6
Langley
Hill –
Site 12
Scar Hill –
Site 19
Saddle Hill –
Site 23

30. N. Central Langley Park - Hill – Site 6 Site 12 Scar Hill –
Beam blockage at 0.5° elevation angle for different radar locations (using ~1 km resolution terrain and a 30 m tower)
N. Central
Park -
Site 6
Langley
Hill –
Site 12
Scar Hill –
Site 19
Saddle Hill –
Site 23

31. N. Central Langley Park - Hill – Site 6 Site 12 Scar Hill –
Beam blockage at 1.0° elevation angle for different radar locations (using ~1 km resolution terrain and a 30 m tower)
N. Central
Park -
Site 6
Langley
Hill –
Site 12
Scar Hill –
Site 19
Saddle Hill –
Site 23

32. N. Central Langley Park - Hill – Site 6 Site 12 Scar Hill –
Beam blockage at 1.5° elevation angle for different radar locations (using ~1 km resolution terrain and a 30 m tower)
N. Central
Park -
Site 6
Langley
Hill –
Site 12
Scar Hill –
Site 19
Saddle Hill –
Site 23

33. N. Central Langley Park - Hill – Site 6 Site 12 Scar Hill –
Beam blockage at 2.0° elevation angle for different radar locations (using ~1 km resolution terrain and a 30 m tower)
N. Central
Park -
Site 6
Langley
Hill –
Site 12
Scar Hill –
Site 19
Saddle Hill –
Site 23

34. Radar Siting
There will be a one-month public comment period, with public notices, after the SRI report is released sometime this month.
With the community’s input, the land can be leased or purchased, and site preparation can begin.

35. Next Step: Acquisition of the radar
First, the radar specifications must be determined.
Then, bids must be acquired, followed by purchase.
There is some issues right now about the specs– zero degree scans and RHIs.

36. The Issues
Zero degree scans can allow you to see considerably further and get more information at low levels.
Range-Height Indicator (RHI) scans allow one to get details on the height of the freezing level, mountain precipitation, and offshore structures.

37. Distance-Height Diagram for Zero Degree and Standard 88-D Elevation Angles
No coverage at .5 degree
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.

38. Examples of RHIs
Example from IMPROVE 1: SPOL at Westport looking to the W
Example from IMPROVE 1: SPOL at Westport looking to the E

39. Zero Degree and RHI
Local NWS offices, NWS Western region, and UW want it, Oklahoma radar folks are hesitant.

40. What do Oklahoma folks know about marine and mountain weather?

41. Timetable
Current NWS plans is for the radar to be installed in late 2012 and operational on January 1, 2013
Looking at the specific timetable, this seems highly conservative.
Hopefully, the unit can be operational far earlier.

42. The End