•New radar system to be installed in Grant County

Grant County, together with the City of Wendell  announced last week that its partner, Climavision, a climate-tech data pioneer, is nearing the completion of installing a new weather radar system in Wendell. 

This X-band radar will supplement weather coverage in between neighboring NEXRAD S-Band radars. This Wednesday, Oct. 18, there will be a radar viewing opportunity at 1 p.m., before it is lifted to its host site, the Wendell water tower.  

Because of regional topography and the nature of weather radar technology, gaps can exist between systems as the radar beam moves higher in the atmosphere the further it gets from the radar location. This leaves some areas, such as Grant County, and neighboring counties including Pope County, exposed to weather phenomena that often happens in the lower atmosphere such as flash flooding, high winds, ice, snow, and tornadoes. 

The dual-polarization, X-Band weather radar is designed specifically to fill these small gaps to provide the highest resolution view of what’s happening nearest to the ground. While all warnings and notices will continue to come through official National Weather Service channels, and the public should always follow the instructions given from the NWS, this new radar will provide critical visibility enabling forecasters and emergency responders to better plan, prepare, and respond to volatile weather situations. 

“Responder safety is always a priority,” said Tina Lindquist, Grant County Emergency Management Director. “The real time data provided by this radar will help keep responders safe, as well as help Grant County be better informed of severe weather systems.”

“Whether it is your personal safety or you are responsible to alert your community, everyone needs data to make good decisions. This radar provides the first-ever opportunity for County responders to have access to low-level radar coverage, where many storm systems develop.”

Climavision’s X-Band weather radar is a proprietary high-resolution, solid state, system manufactured in the United States. It is safe and licensed by the FCC. As the first system to go live in a regional pilot project, Grant County expects the system to be operational within 4-6 weeks with responders, Emergency Management and government officials receiving access to the real-time data. 

Headquartered in Louisville, KY, Climavision installs weather infrastructure across the United States to fill gaps in information so that communities, governments, and businesses can better respond to increasingly volatile weather. 

In addition to installing physical hardware for real-time weather observation, Climavision also collects proprietary satellite data to produce high-performing numerical weather prediction and models. The company provides weather information to a variety of industries including aviation, media, agriculture, energy and government.