THE A T M O S P H E R I C R E S E R V O I R Examining the Atmosphere and Atmospheric Resource Management Improved Offer New Opportunities By Darin Langerud means to detect motions in the NWS in Bismarck. atmosphere, improving our ability Last fall, the to detect severe , especially NDARB has partnered with Atmospheric Resource Board those that may spawn a . Bowman County to test the radar (NDARB) chose Vaisala, Inc. system’s new data sharing to upgrade its weather radars capabilities. Real-time data in Bowman and Stanley. Vais- from the Bowman radar are ala is one of the world leaders being sent to a dedicated in radar technology, and its computer in their Emergency components are a major part Operations Center (EOC), of the current NEXRAD Dop- assisting Bowman County pler radar network operated by spotters during sum- the mer episodes. (NWS). Installation was com- “Having access to a local pleted in April and the radars radar in southwestern North began operations in support of Dakota has enabled Bowman the North Dakota Cloud Modi- County to provide enhanced fication Project (NDCMP) on alerts to our citizens”, said June 1. Radar image from the Stanley, ND radar, with a verti- Dean Pearson, Bowman cal cross-section inset (lower right). County Emergency Manager. NDARB has owned and “This will greatly improve operated weather radars at the air- Perhaps the biggest change is advanced warning time and storm ports in Bowman and Stanley dating the new capability to operate and analysis as it crosses the region. back to 1997. They were previously monitor the radars remotely. Prior Data provided by these enhance- operated by the NWS and were to the upgrades, meteorologists ments can then be sent to neighbor- acquired when the NEXRAD Dop- were required on-site to control and ing counties for a ‘heads-up’ on pler weather radars were installed monitor operations. Now all radar storms.” If testing goes well, the at sites in the Northern Plains. Until functions can be controlled from a potential exists for other counties recently, the radars were essentially central location, such as the NDARB in the area to also be linked to the unchanged from when they were offices in Bismarck. While on-site Bowman radar. built in the 1970s: the only signifi- meteorologists will remain during cant change being the addition of NDCMP operations, this opens the To view live radar data from a computer software program for door to operating the radars beyond Bowman and Stanley, visit the radar display and data storage. the summer months, perhaps even NDARB website at http://www. year-round. swc.nd.gov/arb. Images are updated These recent upgrades change every six minutes, 24 hours a day, all that. Sophisticated components As those in western North Dakota seven days a week. have replaced some of the older are aware, the existing coverage of hardware making for a greatly im- the NWS network Atmospheric Resource Board proved, more functional system. over parts of the state, especially North Dakota State Water Commission Updated electronics improve the southwest North Dakota is marginal. 900 East Boulevard, Bismarck, ND 58505 (701) 328-2788 sensitivity of the radars, allowing While towering summer thunder- http://swc.nd.gov them to detect sooner, storms are detectable, lower clouds ND Weather Modification Association and at greater distances than before. that produce rainfall or snow are PO Box 2599, Bismarck, ND 58502 Doppler capability will provide the typically not observed from the (701) 223-4232

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