National Weather Service Upgrading Radar System

The National Weather Service is upgrading its radar system with what's called "dual-polarization." Warning and Coordination Meteorologist Keith Stellman at the Shreveport office says the difference with the new system is that it will allow forecasters to see things they couldn't see before, specifically detection of rainfall and rainfall rates. It'll also tell them what type of precipitation is falling -- whether it be rain, snow, sleet or hail -- how big it is and how much there is. The current system sends out a beam of energy in sort of a horizontal-type wave pattern, and forecasters knowledge of what they're looking at. The new system sends out two beams, one horizontal and one vertical, which eliminates a lot of that guesswork. The upgrade has already been done in several locations, but won't be here in Shreveport until about this time next year. We'll have more from Keith Stellman about the upgrade this evening on Newsday PM with John Lee.