Charlotte Weather Radar Study Passes Senate

Press Release

Last night, the Senate unanimously passed an amended version of The Metropolitan Weather Hazards Protection Act. The legislation, sponsored by Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), directs the National Weather Service (NWS) to study areas of the country, including the Charlotte metropolitan area, with inadequate weather radar and develop a plan to improve radar coverage. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) is a cosponsor of the final bill.

"Our nation has an excellent weather radar system, but there are holes we need to fix," said Senator Burr. "Weather radar coverage is dangerously deficient in the Charlotte area; my bill is an important step forward to addressing this public safety concern. Just this week, a tornado touched down in Mecklenburg County. Unlike the disastrous tornado event of 2012, we received a warning, but it underscores the reality that Charlotte can experience sudden weather shifts, and we need all the tools available to keep residents safe. I'm glad Senator Maria Cantwell and I could work together to pass this important legislation in the Senate, and I'm looking forward to working with Representative Robert Pittenger to pass this bill in the House."

Charlotte is currently covered by a NWS Doppler radar that is 94 miles away in Greer, SC. However, no other city of Charlotte's size currently has a radar situated more than 58 miles away. The current location results in a majority of the metropolitan area being without radar beam coverage below 10,000 feet. Due to the circumference of the earth the further a radar is away from a given point, the higher the radar beam scans the atmosphere, leading to lower resolutions and an inability to detect the low-level dynamics of severe weather. Rowan, Cabarrus, and Davidson Counties have an even more pronounced problem with limited radar coverage because of the location of the radar.

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