As News 12 celebrates 70 years, here’s a look at the history of weather
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - As we celebrate 70 years at WRDW, we’re taking a look at how our weather coverage has changed over the years.
Radar is something that has been used on television broadcasts since the 1960s.
It’s been a part of our broadcast for many decades and has helped save countless lives.
Here’s a look back on how radar has changed on News 12 over the years.
Doppler radar was used in the early years, which would show basic radar and velocity.
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Doppler radar was a breakthrough at the time and a critical tool used on television from the 1960s through the 1990s.
Velocity scans gave meteorologists the ability to detect rotating thunderstorms and severe winds, allowing warnings to be issued ahead of the storm.
It was not until the early 2000s that we would get dual-pol radar.
Dual-pol radar is what we currently use today. The dual in the name comes from the horizontally and vertically polarized radar beam.
Having a horizontal and vertical scan gave us the new ability to measure the size and shape of objects in the sky and effectively see a tornadic debris signature.
Dual-pol also improved locating hail in thunderstorms and the size of hail stones.
We recently gained access to a new x-band radar in February 2023.
This radar is located on top of the Harlem Water Tower in Columbia County and is much smaller than traditional s band radars from the National Weather Service.
Even though it looks small, it still has dual-pol capabilities and helps fill a radar gap in the central and northern CSRA.
This new radar site gives us access to the lowest scans of storms as they approach our most populated areas in the CSRA.
A lot can change in 70 years.
The thing that stays the same here at News 12 is our ion for keeping our community safe.
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