Chinook Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 After reading several posts recently regarding the Missouri area where there is weak radar coverage, I went to google and I was looking for a web page on radar holes. I found an old thread on Stormtrack.org specifically about this. Here are some links about radar coverage (or lack of it) http://www.roc.noaa.gov/WSR88D/Maps.aspx http://www.cimms.ou.edu/~jzhang/radcov.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheWeatherPimp Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 I thought Northern Missouri was bad (which it is, particularly with the population), but man Eastern/Southeastern Montana is awful! Noticed that the other day while trying to track severe thunderstorms in that area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Lizard Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 I thought Northern Missouri was bad (which it is, particularly with the population), but man Eastern/Southeastern Montana is awful! Noticed that the other day while trying to track severe thunderstorms in that area. There is probably a cost/benefit analysis to be done here, radar holes where there are towns and cities is a different matter than radar holes where its almost entirely rural. That, and the frequency of severe weather would also be a consideration. A radar gap in rural Nevada probably isn't as bad as a radar hole in rural Kansas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radarman Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 The hole in SE OK/NE TX is a very bad one, especially given the frequency of severe wx in that area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyclone77 Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 Bored, so I edited the map linked above and added some radar sites. Ended up adding 20 sites, with many of them badly needed. Maybe someday we'll get radar coverage like this, but it probably won't be for a long time given the national debt, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radarman Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 I know that industry has shown some willingness to pay to fill in the radar gap in Wyoming... Huge amounts of coal are shipped out from that area, and transportation delays due to weather can result in sharp spot price increases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trent Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 On the other side, badly needed radar holes could be fixed for Houghton, Michigan and Erie, Pennsylvania. With constant lake effect snows for 5 months out of the year, the radar can almost never catch these bands which ends up giving terrible forecasts for these areas. Erie, PA is probably the most populated place that isn't in the lightest yellow shade, and ironically one of the places in the US that probably has one of the higher incidents of precipitation days throughout the course of the entire year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k*** Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 Erie's radar hole is mitigated a bit by the WJET Doppler, which is excellent at picking up LES. I have often wished for a 88D for thunderstorms, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msp Posted June 18, 2011 Share Posted June 18, 2011 the mo holes get the most attention, but east texas could really use a couple. ditto for the alexandria area in mn. we're lucky in college station that we get most of the cells well covered as they come in from the west, but the huntsville to tyler corridor is pretty bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IMADreamer Posted June 18, 2011 Share Posted June 18, 2011 Seeing that map kind of makes me sad because there is no way with the current attitude in the country (anti spending, anti science) that we will fill all those holes. I'd be shocked if any get filled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janetjanet998 Posted June 18, 2011 Share Posted June 18, 2011 I sort of like the radar hole in NE Mo becuase in the winter it looks like snow is ending there(it often heads this way from there) but it really isn't and "redevelops" on radar over western IL but really they do need a radar near kirksville Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stebo Posted June 18, 2011 Share Posted June 18, 2011 Didn't realize Northern Wisconsin had such a huge radar hole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wall_cloud Posted June 18, 2011 Share Posted June 18, 2011 Erie, PA is probably the most populated place that isn't in the lightest yellow shade, and ironically one of the places in the US that probably has one of the higher incidents of precipitation days throughout the course of the entire year. Laredo, in south TX along the Rio Grande has no coverage below 10,000 feet. They have a population of greater than 250,000 (add Nuevo Laredo into the mix and we're talking 750,000). They have some monster supercells that move out of Mexico during the warm season. That area could sure use some help as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trent Posted June 18, 2011 Share Posted June 18, 2011 Seeing that map kind of makes me sad because there is no way with the current attitude in the country (anti spending, anti science) that we will fill all those holes. I'd be shocked if any get filled. I'd agree that this is probably true. Not to get political here, but sadly there are more than enough radars in the US to cover all these gaps. Just think of how many metros have multiple radars owned by the NBC/CBS/ABC/FOX affiliates that really add no new coverage value to that region. If we were to just use the resources that we already have and distribute them in an effective manner, the radar hole problem would be solved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallow Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 I'd go insane if I lived in Bend/Redmond, OR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wishforsnow Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 On the other side, badly needed radar holes could be fixed for Houghton, Michigan and Erie, Pennsylvania. With constant lake effect snows for 5 months out of the year, the radar can almost never catch these bands which ends up giving terrible forecasts for these areas. Erie, PA is probably the most populated place that isn't in the lightest yellow shade, and ironically one of the places in the US that probably has one of the higher incidents of precipitation days throughout the course of the entire year. The Huron mountains to the east of here block the radar beam. Since lake effect is closer to the ground it never picks it up from Houghton north. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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