ULM unveils a brand new doppler radar that will enhance forecasting for the ArkLaMiss

MONROE, La - What has been in the works for almost 3 years is on the job tonight. You may notice a new giant ball as you are driving on Highway 80 eastbound. It's ULM's new Doppler Radar.

The Department of Atmospheric Sciences at ULM got to show off a fancy new gadget today. A ribbon cutting ceremony unveiled a brand new Doppler radar off Highway 80 Wednesday morning. Students and teachers came out to tour the inside of the 90 foot tall radar.

"It's huge you know. We are the only undergraduate program in the nation that has this type of radar," says Dr. Todd Murphy.

With internet access, anyone can get the latest information on temperatures, rain chances, and more through the department's website. Meaning, you don't have to rely on the National Weather Service. Planning and construction has taken over 2 years but now the radar is fully operational, so arriving at this point is quite the achievement. 

"We started actually delivering the data to the weather service back in February. They have a live feed so they see it in real time like we do," says Dr. Todd Murphy.

Before this one was built, the nearest radars were in Shreveport and Jackson, Mississippi. This  new addition will fill in the gap between the two cities, allowing students to get to work with more concise data at their disposal and students are excited about that.

"Just to be able to know that they have a radar where we can get the hands-on experience, you know, be able to do it in the real world, it just stands out," says Bradley Benoit, sophomore in the department.

"To officially say that we are not coming is very nice," says Dr. Todd Murphy.

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For access to the Doppler's information, click here: http://wxdata.geos.ulm.edu/. 

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