New Doppler Radar coming to OK

[rdale]

The City of Durant will purchase and manage a new Doppler radar system for the Texoma region, giving more lead time during severe weather events.
To read more about the $1.6 million grant from the State of Oklahoma, click below.

https://www.durant.org/DocumentCenter/View/1811/Press-Release---City-of-Durant-Awarded-16-Million-Dollar-Grant-for-New-Doppler-Radar-System-07132021

 

[Mike Smith]

Anyone know whether it will X or C band? And, the beam width?

 

[Randy Jennings]

I looked at the Durant City Council package online for their meeting tonight. While it had the acceptance of this grant in it, it had no details beyond what the press release said. I also would be interested to know if the data be publicly svailable.

 

[Andy Wehrle]

I looked at the Durant City Council package online for their meeting tonight. While it had the acceptance of this grant in it, it had no details beyond what the press release said. I also would be interested to know if the data be publicly svailable.

Good news, but not much use to chasers if we can't get it on RadarScope or GR.

 

[rdale]

Given the distance of Durant from neighboring radars - I think it has use even if you're stuck with a website view.

1MW C-Band.

 

[Mike Smith]

Thanks, Rob. A C-band will be very useful. Chances are that it will be available on RS and GR.

 

[rdale]

They are providing a feed to the NWS and some internal users but no plans on distribution. Unknown about web.

 

[Jeff Duda]

From a strictly geographical/scientific viewpoint, placing a new site in Hugo or Idabel would be better at filling the gap between KTLX, KSRX, KFWS, and KLZK. But then again, if it's C-band, the range will be limited and so such a radar would not sufficiently fill the middle of that gap anyway. So it's probably fine, and there are probably more people closer to Durant than further east..

 

[Mike Smith]

Jeff, C-band radars are not range limited. The TDWR's, for example, have ranges of 200+ miles.

The WSR-74C's had ranges of 250 miles.

 

[Gary Latimer]

In the year 2021, I find it so crazy that the US Government has not filled in all the NEXRAD “gaps”… I’m glad the State of Oklahoma is adding its own radar into the mix for its residents, but when our Federal Government has as its mandate to protect the lives of all citizens, it’s just crazy to me that there are still major gaps in the system… especially one in Oklahoma. (Not a political comment… because both sides of the aisle have allowed these gaps to continue on… rather… just an observation generally).

Do we know if more NOAA radars are slated to come online in the future? Are they waiting for the phased array system to fill in the gaps? I genuinely do not know the answer to that hence why I asked

 

[Mike Smith]

This is a very sore subject with me.

In the autumn of '17, I was contacted by Congress for recommendations pertaining to gap-filler radars. I did a great deal of work on the topic and provided a report -- at no charge -- to committee looking into it. You can find a few items that were extracted from my report, here: Why We Need Gap-Filler Radars There was a great deal of momentum at that time and Congress seemed primed to move. By law, the NWS was supposed to provide a prompt response.

Instead, the NWS sat on it.

When NOAA/NWS finally responded, to everyone's shock, the NWS told Congress gap-fillers would make no difference! The story is here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/11/21/radar-gaps-weather-service/
Of course, it is preposterous that the spacing of radars is not related to warning quality.

Congress, in a time of huge deficits, hates to spend money when the agency in charge implicitly tells them it would be a waste of money.

So, gap-fillers are dead for the foreseeable future.

In the year 2021, I find it so crazy that the US Government has not filled in all the NEXRAD “gaps”… I’m glad the State of Oklahoma is adding its own radar into the mix for its residents, but when our Federal Government has as its mandate to protect the lives of all citizens, it’s just crazy to me that there are still major gaps in the system… especially one in Oklahoma. (Not a political comment… because both sides of the aisle have allowed these gaps to continue on… rather… just an observation generally).

Do we know if more NOAA radars are slated to come online in the future? Are they waiting for the phased array system to fill in the gaps? I genuinely do not know the answer to that hence why I asked

 

[Gary Latimer]

This is a very sore subject with me.

In the autumn of '17, I was contacted by Congress for recommendations pertaining to gap-filler radars. I did a great deal of work on the topic and provided a report -- at no charge -- to committee looking into it. You can find a few items that were extracted from my report, here: Why We Need Gap-Filler Radars There was a great deal of momentum at that time and Congress seemed primed to move. By law, the NWS was supposed to provide a prompt response.

Instead, the NWS sat on it.

When NOAA/NWS finally responded, to everyone's shock, the NWS told Congress gap-fillers would make no difference! The story is here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/11/21/radar-gaps-weather-service/
Of course, it is preposterous that the spacing of radars is not related to warning quality.

Congress, in a time of huge deficits, hates to spend money when the agency in charge implicitly tells them it would be a waste of money.

So, gap-fillers are dead for the foreseeable future.

First, thank you for the work you did to try to get them to purchase more radar hardware… but I am speechless… I’m guessing it will only become urgent when someone in charge gets personally affected by severe weather (I’m just guessing / being snarky)… just insane…