History of Weather radar in Timeline

Weather radar, also known as weather surveillance radar or Doppler weather radar, is a radar type employed to pinpoint precipitation, assess its movement, and approximate its nature. Contemporary weather radars primarily function as pulse-Doppler systems, allowing them to discern the velocity of raindrops and the strength of the precipitation. Analyzing both sets of information enables the determination of storm structures and their capacity to generate severe weather conditions.

1950: Reflectivity radars incorporated worldwide

Between 1950 and 1980, reflectivity radars, which measure the position and intensity of precipitation, were incorporated by weather services around the world.

1950: EKCO demonstrates airborne radar

In 1950, the UK company EKCO demonstrated its airborne 'cloud and collision warning search radar equipment'.

1953: First radar observation of a hook echo

In 1953, Donald Staggs made the first recorded radar observation of a "hook echo" associated with a tornadic thunderstorm, while working for the Illinois State Water Survey.

September 1961: First use of weather radar on television

In September 1961, Dan Rather used the U.S. Weather Bureau WSR-57 radar to broadcast live during Hurricane Carla, providing the audience with a sense of the storm's size and location, which helped alert the population and led to the largest evacuation in US history at that time. This helped to save lives.

1964: NSSL begins experimentation

In 1964, the NSSL began experimentation on dual polarization signals and on Doppler effect uses.

May 1973: NSSL documents tornado life cycle

In May 1973, the NSSL documented the entire life cycle of the Union City, Oklahoma tornado using a Dopplerized 10 cm wavelength radar, discovering a mesoscale rotation in the cloud aloft before the tornado touched down, which convinced the National Weather Service that Doppler radar was a crucial forecasting tool.

April 1974: Super Outbreak of tornadoes

The Super Outbreak of tornadoes on 3–4 April 1974 and their devastating destruction might have helped to get funding for further developments in weather radar technology.

1980: Reflectivity radars incorporated worldwide

Between 1950 and 1980, reflectivity radars, which measure the position and intensity of precipitation, were incorporated by weather services around the world.

1980: Weather radar networks become the norm

Between 1980 and 2000, weather radar networks became the norm in North America, Europe, Japan and other developed countries.

1985: King City station constructed

In Canada, Environment Canada constructed the King City station, with a 5 cm research Doppler radar, by 1985.

1988: Construction of NEXRAD network started

In 1988, the construction of a network consisting of 10 cm radars, called NEXRAD or WSR-88D (Weather Surveillance Radar 1988 Doppler), was started in the United States following NSSL's research.

1993: McGill University dopplerized its radar

McGill University dopplerized its radar (J. S. Marshall Radar Observatory) in 1993.

1998: Canadian Doppler network begins

A complete Canadian Doppler network was built between 1998 and 2004.

1999: McGill University J. S. Marshall Radar Observatory converted its instrument

McGill University J. S. Marshall Radar Observatory in Montreal, Canada converted its instrument in 1999 and the data were used operationally by Environment Canada in Montreal until its closure in 2018.

2000: Research on dual polarization technology moves into operational use

After 2000, research on dual polarization technology moved into operational use, increasing the amount of information available on precipitation type.

2000: Weather radar networks become the norm

Between 1980 and 2000, weather radar networks became the norm in North America, Europe, Japan and other developed countries.

March 2003: Park Forest, Illinois, meteorite fall

An image shows the Park Forest, Illinois, meteorite fall which occurred on 26 March 2003. The intermixed red and green pixels indicate turbulence, in this case arising from the wakes of falling, high-velocity meteorites.

2003: NSF establishes CASA

Also in 2003, the National Science Foundation established the Engineering Research Center for Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere (CASA).

2003: NOAA experiments with phased-array radar

Since 2003, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been experimenting with phased-array radar as a replacement for conventional parabolic antenna to provide more time resolution in atmospheric sounding.

2004: Canadian Doppler network completed

A complete Canadian Doppler network was built between 1998 and 2004.

2004: ARMOR Doppler Weather Radar equipped with Dual-Polarmetric capabilities

In 2004, ARMOR Doppler Weather Radar in Huntsville, Alabama was equipped with a SIGMET Antenna Mounted Receiver, giving Dual-Polarmetric capabilities to the operator.

2005: King City radar dual-polarized

Another Environment Canada radar, in King City (North of Toronto), was dual-polarized in 2005; it uses a 5 cm wavelength, which experiences greater attenuation.