Texas town of Saint Jo installs new weather radar to improve severe storm detection

New radar fills a coverage gap

The city of Saint Jo, Texas, is preparing to install a new weather radar that officials say will improve detection of severe weather, including tornadoes, for the community and surrounding areas, according to Texomashomepage.com. The project is being carried out in partnership with Climavision, and the radar will give local first responders, weather spotters, fire departments and emergency management coordinators better access to weather alerts.

City Secretary Debbie Dennis said the radar will essentially "fill in the gap" in coverage, allowing local agencies to get alerts out faster. She said the goal is to be better prepared and give residents warning when needed, rather than relying on distant detection, since Saint Jo sits in the heart of Tornado Alley.

How the radar works

Climavision project coordinator and meteorologist Riley Pfeiffer said the new equipment will give Saint Jo a strong view of weather affecting every area within 60 miles of the site. A weather radar sends out a beam of energy that is always tilted above ground level, so there is no risk of it hitting the ground. When the beam encounters something in the atmosphere — rain, snow, sleet, or even birds or insects — it reflects back to the radar, which can determine the size of the detected object and the direction it is traveling.

Local reaction

Saint Jo native Jack Dunn, who said he has spent his whole life dodging tornadoes, said early warning is critical because residents sometimes have only seconds or minutes to react once a tornado is approaching. He said the new radar should make the community much better prepared to avoid disaster and to get people to shelters or other safe places when a storm is certain.

The radar will sit atop the Saint Jo water tower near downtown, and Climavision plans to have it fully installed by the end of the week.

Radar's everyday role in forecasting

Weather radar remains a standard forecasting tool elsewhere too — for example, meteorologists in Boston use radar data to track the return of rain and possible afternoon thunderstorms in the region, according to NBC Boston, though that report is unrelated to the installation of any new equipment.