FORECAST AND SEVERE WEATHER WARNING PERFORMANCE...
THE WEATHER SURVEILLANCE RADAR-1988 DOPPLER...WSR-88D IN
SHORT...SYSTEM OPERATED BY THE CHICAGO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
FORECAST OFFICE SERVING NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND NORTHWEST INDIANA
WILL BE ENHANCED WITH THE LATEST DUAL POLARIZATION TECHNOLOGY
BEGINNING OCTOBER 17 FOR APPROXIMATELY 12 DAYS THROUGH OCTOBER 28.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE RADAR WILL BE OUT OF SERVICE FOR
THE DURATION OF THE INSTALLATION PROCESS. NEIGHBORING RADARS IN
MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WISCONSIN...QUAD CITIES IOWA...LINCOLN
ILLINOIS...AND NORTHERN INDIANA WILL BE OPERATIONAL WHILE THE
CHICAGO RADAR IS DOWN.
DUAL POLARIZATION RADAR TECHNOLOGY CAN BETTER DETECT HEAVY
RAINFALL IN FLOODING EVENTS...IMPROVE HAIL DETECTION IN
THUNDERSTORMS AND IMPROVE CLASSIFICATION OF PRECIPITATION TYPES
DURING WINTER WEATHER. IT CAN ALSO BETTER DETECT THE PRESENCE OF
AIRBORNE TORNADO DEBRIS......KNOWN AS A DEBRIS BALL
SIGNATURE...GIVING A FORECASTER A HIGHER DEGREE OF CONFIDENCE
THAT A DAMAGING TORNADO IS OCCURRING. THIS HELPS A FORECASTER
CONFIRM AND TRACK THE LOCATION OF A TORNADO...WHICH IS ESPECIALLY
HELPFUL AT NIGHT WHEN TORNADOES ARE DIFFICULT TO SPOT WITH THE
HUMAN EYE.
INSTALLATION OF DUAL POLARIZATION TECHNOLOGY IN ALL 122 NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE RADARS IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN 2013. THIRTY
EIGHT OTHER DOPPLER RADARS OWNED BY THE AIR FORCE AND FEDERAL
AVIATION ADMINISTRATION WILL ALSO BE UPGRADED.
FOR MORE INFORMATION...PLEASE VISIT OUR HOMEPAGE AT WEATHER.GOV/CHICAGO.
