21 



you will ever achieve the ability to maintain service in that area, 

 some 17,000 square miles, up in northwestern North Dakota. 



And I might mention that the 17,000 square miles in western 

 North Dakota and eastern Montana which will be without cov- 

 erage, is about twice the square miles of Delaware, Rhode Island, 

 and Connecticut combined. So, it is not a small area. Because I 

 have flown light planes up in that area, I know that weather fronts 

 come in rather unpredictably and quickly. Not only pilots, but 

 farmers and others, worry about weather patterns changing very 

 quickly. 



Can you describe for me how you will meet the statute's require- 

 ment to certify no degradation of service with the current plans for 

 NEXRAD in North Dakota? 



Dr. Baker. Well, Senator, let me say that I share your concern, 

 and that there will be more than just NEXRAD radars placed in 

 these areas. For example, the Automated Surface Observing Sys- 

 tems. But let me, if I could, ask the Director of the Weather Service 

 to address that question specifically. 



Senator Dorgan. All right. 



I might say the Automated Surface Centers have also been con- 

 solidated, as you are well aware, so there are fewer of those, as 

 well, and certainly none in western North Dakota. 



Dr. Friday. With respect to the radar coverage, the Williston 

 area is, as you indicate, approximately 100 miles away from the 

 nearest NEXRAD radar. Our data from the tests that we have to 

 date in 27 locations where we are currently operating NEXRAD — 

 the most complete data is the data record from Oklahoma City; it 

 is a fairly similar terrain; it is a little more active weather area 

 than North Dakota — shows that our accuracy out to 100 to 125 

 miles is much better than the accuracy with the present radar, es- 

 sentially, within 25 miles of the radar. 



Now, that is what the data shows with the real forecasters and 

 real weather, using the real radar. And I will be glad to come and 

 brief you personally on that, and provide you with the complete 

 data set on that test on that data. 



Senator Dorgan. At all altitudes? 



Dr. Friday. At all altitudes. 



We are looking at the actual weather warnings and forecasts. We 

 are not looking at where the weather occurs, but we are looking at 

 all weather warnings and forecasts. And the fact is that they indi- 

 cate that they are superior all the way out to the 125-nautical-mile 

 range of the doppler coverage. 



With respect to the 10,000-foot elevation, that is indeed a con- 

 cern that has been expressed by many people. The fortunate thing 

 is that the severe weather, the thunderstorms and the tornadic ac- 

 tivity, hail storms and the gust fronts, and the like occur from 

 storms that penetrate well above the 10,000-foot level. And the 

 NEXRAD provides us with very able coverage of those storms. And 

 I will show you the data to support that. It is no longer a paper 

 study. 



We now have 2 years of experience with the radar operating at 

 Norman. We have over a year experience with the radar operating 

 here at Dulles Airport. And we have substantial experience now 

 with 27 radars operating. So, we have good data to show now. 



