Brainerd gets a new eye on the sky

Brainerd is getting a new tool to help meteorologists and emergency officials better see developing weather, thanks to a partnership with weather technology company Climavision.

New radar will help the Brainerd Lakes area

A new weather radar designed to improve weather coverage across the Brainerd region will be unveiled Monday afternoon.

The radar is part of a partnership with weather technology company Climavision and is designed to provide additional coverage and a closer look at storms and other potentially dangerous weather — particularly closer to the ground.

The project is part of Climavision’s effort to fill gaps in the nation’s traditional weather radar network. While the National Weather Service’s Next Generation Weather Radar system (also called NEXRAD) provides broad and important coverage, terrain and the curvature of the Earth can limit what those radars can see at lower levels, particularly farther from the radar site.

That can be especially important in central and northern Minnesota, where portions of the state have historically had limited low-level radar coverage.

The new Brainerd-area radar will provide a closer look at weather systems moving through the region, giving emergency managers, forecasters and other users additional information to help make decisions during severe weather.

This radar will supplement, rather than replace, the National Weather Service's existing radar network, adding another layer of information for the region.

Officials and representatives from Climavision are expected to discuss the new radar during Monday afternoon’s unveiling in Brainerd.