That data is used to map the location, intensity and direction of the rainfall. Weather radar works by sending out radio signals that hit raindrops and then bounce back. “It’s really important to have a better handle (on that). ![]() “In February of ’19, we had 2 or 3 feet of water running down the middle of Guerneville, and seemingly it hasn’t rained since,” Sonoma County supervisor and water director David Rabbitt said. Both are reasons that Sonoma County’s water agency took the lead on bringing the state-funded AQPI project to the Bay Area. On the flip side, the county has been heavily impacted by drought. The Bay Area also has pockets that get hit hard by atmospheric rivers, particularly the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County, which experienced flooding most recently in early 2019. Also, the radar system we have is limited by the area’s hilly topography, Cifelli said. Since precipitation generally moves west to east, it’s difficult to get close enough to storms that are coming from the Pacific. The Bay Area has particular weather forecasting challenges. “AQPI can really direct down to almost the neighborhood what the impact of the storm will be.” ![]() “With climate change and sea level rise, a lot of the impacts are going to be felt on our interior highways around bridges,” said John Coleman, CEO of the Bay Planning Coalition, an organization that represents the economic interests of governments and businesses in the region. In that case, an emergency text message could be blasted out, urging people to avoid the bridge. One scenario: AQPI could predict that heavy precipitation will fall around the east entrance to the Bay Bridge during the evening commute - perhaps when there is also a king tide, raising the chance of intense flooding. It will especially improve what is called nowcasting - updates on what is happening in the next 30 to 60 minutes - which can be vital in an emergency. The forecasting system aims to provide those details, as the new radar stations will cover more ground and provide higher-resolution images and quicker updates. ![]() The new X-band radar that was installed in San Jose produces a more high-resolution image of precipitation (right) and is updated more often than the NEXRAD radar (left), in this sped-up video of radar readings from February 2019. An additional radar station will also be installed in Santa Cruz. By 2024, five more will come to the Bay Area, including one in the East Bay by Thanksgiving. Paid for in part with a $20 million grant from the California Department of Water Resources and implemented by local water districts, the $31 million system began rolling out in 2018 with the installation of a new weather radar station in Sonoma County, followed by one in San Jose. The new forecasting system was originally geared to give emergency planners more time to prepare before a sewage plant overflowed or a BART station flooded during an atmospheric river, the often-dramatic weather events responsible for up to half of the region’s rainfall. Provided by Valley Water Show More Show Less 2 of2 Show More Show LessĪ new radar system coming to the Bay Area promises to greatly improve weather predictions, providing additional warning time to prevent flooding damage and more accurate forecasts of where heavy rainfall will hit, down to a specific low-lying highway or neighborhood. This X-band radar station was installed in San Jose in 2019 as part of a new weather forecasting system being rolled out in the Bay Area.
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