Bay News 9, the 24-hour cable news channel in the Tampa Bay, Fla., market, has installed one of Baron Services' new dual-polarization Doppler radar systems to improve its coverage of severe storms as well as day-to-day weather events such as sea-breeze fronts. The news channel, owned and operated by cable operator Bright House Networks, is the first installation of Baron's dual-polarimetric radar technology in Florida and the sixth overall nationally, following WRAL Raleigh, N.C.; WHNT Huntsville, Ala.; KRIV Houston; WFLD Chicago and WNYW New York.
Baron's dual-polarization radars differ from conventional Doppler radar systems, which transmit only a horizontal scan, by emitting both horizontal and vertical energy. Huntsville, Ala.-based Baron says the dual-polarization technique makes detection of specific precipitation types much easier, and allows meteorologists to describe precipitation in different parts of their market with pinpoint accuracy. Bay News 9 will use the new Doppler radar in conjunction with its existing Baron weather graphics systems.
