Major repairs to Puget Sound's primary Doppler radar

The primary Doppler radar for Seattle and the Puget Sound region -- located on Camano Island -- will be taken offline for major repairs Tuesday.  The work on the machinery, including the "klystron" which radiates the radar's beam energy, is substantial and could take two days. %

%

Losing the "Seattle Radar" -- as it is unofficially known -- will cause the radar information on KIRO 7's Stormtracker Doppler displays as well as the KIRO 7 Weather app (and any other app showing radar) to be degraded.  Some smaller showers may not even be detectable.

The National Weather Service has chosen the Tuesday through Thursday timeframe as it is likely to be less stormy, though showers will be around from time-to-time.

We will still get data from the coastal radar at Langley Hill in Grays Harbor County and also from Portland and Spokane.  Additionally, some shorter-range Environment Canada radars in British Columbia will help fill in the gaps.

The NOAA Doppler Radar system, called the WSR-88D radars (Weather Surveillance Radar, 1988 version) is the backbone of weather detection in the United States.  The technology has been upgraded over time, but many of the moving parts, including the giant pedestal upon which the radar antenna rotates, wear out after years of continuous service.

It is hoped that Phased Array radar will be someday rolled out to replace the "88D" radars, and those radars will have no moving parts.  While some phased array radars are being tested, implementation of radars nationwide is years away.

Cox Media Group