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Radar under the weather, upgrades underway

DEERING – The weather radar that is used by the National Weather Service to track weather developments in the Minot area is down for repairs. Technicians began refurbishing the radar’s transmitter earlier this week.

“Basically the wiring is very old. That’s what they are doing,” said Eric Hayner, system analyst, Bismarck NWS. “They are replacing all of the old wiring in the transmitter. When it sits there for 20 years it becomes brittle. This will extend the life of the radar.”

The radar is expected to be out of use until sometime Friday, depending upon the amount of time needed to complete the upgrade. The radar is responsible for the images seen on various NWS websites targeting Minot and the surrounding area. It is positioned to provide radar coverage to north central and northwest North Dakota.

“We really don’t need overlapping radar coverage,” explained Hayner. “We have radar here in Bismarck and the one near Minot. There’s also radar out of the Grand Forks office.”

The project is the second of four major upgrades planned for completion within the next five years. Many major components of the radar are nearing 30 years old. In addition to the NWS, the radar is used by Minot Air Force Base and the Federal Aviation Administration.

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