Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
NORTH WEBSTER -ÊThe WSR-88D radar installation in North Webster has become a fully certified weather forecasting facility.
The next-generation radar, or NEXRAD, facility began to forecast for 20 counties in northern Indiana, eight counties in northwest Ohio, and five counties in southwest Michigan in June 1997 but was undergoing a testing and familiarization phase.
"We've been bringing our staff in and getting ourselves accustomed to using the WSR-88D at this location," said meteorologist in charge Mike Sabones. "We've put the radar through its paces, become familiar with our coverage area, established contacts with county emergency management agencies, and now we're ready to become a complete forecast office just in time for severe weather season."
The NEXRAD radar culminates a six-year effort by U.S. Rep. Tim Roemer, local officials and residents. While the facility is fully functioning, the office building has not yet been constructed. The staff is currently operating out of a temporary facility consisting of two mobile homes.
"We may not look like much from the outside," Sabones said, "but we'll be polished on the inside. With the skill of this forecast staff and the capabilities of the WSR-88D, we're ready to provide better forecast and warning services than this area has ever had."
The Weather Service had originally planned to begin construction of the offices last fall, but complications in acquiring the land caused delays.
"We are nearing a resolution to the land transfer and expect to start construction on the new building this summer," said Sabones.
Many organizations, including NewsCenter 16, have been using the information provided from NEXRAD since its installation, even though it had not been fully certified.
Tom Buchan, Kosciusko County emergency coordinator for Sky Warn, said with the doppler installation, there will be "a tremendous amount of coverage."
Sky Warn is an amateur radio organization that helps gather and spread information during severe weather.
The amateur radio users act as a network of eyewitnesses when severe weather occurs. They are able to verify what the radar shows and predicts. They also have the authority to submit weather storm warnings to the weather service.
Before the radar installation was functioning, Sky Warn would obtain "secondhand information" from Fort Wayne and South Bend. Now, however, the information will be locally focused.
The information received from Fort Wayne and South Bend was from storms and weather at an altitude of greater than 16,000 feet. Most severe storms lie beneath that level, however, causing the local reports to be speculative and inaccurate.
The NEXRAD system will eliminate that problem.
The county Sky Warn operators use the frequency of 146.52, which can be monitored using any programmable scanner. Any members of the amateur radio community are welcomed to participate in Sky Warn. The meetings are held on the first Thursday of the month in the city council chambers at Warsaw City Hall.
