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A storm unleashes over the Animas Valley. A new radar system spearheaded by La Plata County will now help better predict weather
events in the Four Corners, long a black hole for accurate forecasting./ File photo
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Out of the black hole
by Jonathan Romeo
Three years in the making, La Plata County is ready to move forward with a new radar station for the Four Corners, a blind spot when it comes to weather and radar modeling.
Referred to as a “black hole” in the weather world, the Four Corners has never had accurate forecasting methods, as hubs in Albuquerque, Flagstaff and Grand Junction take in data at too high of an elevation. The gap in information not only means an inability to forecast storms, it also makes it more difficult to predict water availability in an increasingly water-strapped West.
Over the years, efforts to bring a new radar station to the Four Corners have come up short. In summer 2018, however, destructive flooding in the 416 Fire burn scar highlighted the need to predict incoming storms that could pose a threat to homes north of Durango.
The following year, the major hurdle – funding – was solved when the State of Colorado awarded La Plata County $1.7 million to lead the radar project. But perhaps the most important question still loomed: Where to put the new station.
A number of sites have been evaluated in the ensuing years, and not just for the best coverage. County officials also have to consider other factors, such as road access and existing infrastructure like power, which can have a huge impact on the total cost of the project.
After some setbacks in the past few years, La Plata County told The Durango Telegraph this week the location has finally been selected: the Durango-La Plata County Airport.
“We think we have the right site,” County Manager Chuck Stevens said. “And there’s an overwhelming amount of support to bring this project to fruition.”
Need for a heads up
The push for a radar system for the Four Corners is not a new issue. For years, local officials have raised the alarm that the region’s existing weather stations cannot track storm systems in this corner of the state.
“It’s one of the most significant (blind spots) in the country,” Kenneth Howard, program manager and research meteorologist for the National Severe Storms Laboratory Center, said.
In Grand Junction, for instance, the radar system on Grand Mesa is unable to pick up storms at elevations below 28,000 feet. In the San Juan Mountains, however, it’s not uncommon for storms to develop at around 14,000 feet.
“It puts us in a vulnerable position, because we can’t effectively forecast and know if storm cells are coming our way,” Stevens said.
After the Missionary Ridge Fire in 2002 created flashflood risks off the burn scar to homes below, local officials made a concerted effort to bring proper equipment to Southwest Colorado. But the attempt never materialized.
In fact, it wasn’t until after destructive landslides damaged a number of homes in the wake of the 416 Fire that local officials had the leverage they needed. How could emergency officials warn residents of debris flows when there was no way to see where storms were headed?
“We’ve needed (a radar system) for years, but the 416 Fire really highlighted this gap,” Stevens said.
And the winner is...
Since receiving the grant money from the state’s Department of Local Affairs, Stevens said siting the radar system has been challenging. The goal: to find the best location to serve as many people as possible.
In September 2020, La Plata County and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe partnered to secure a site on tribal lands about 10 miles south of Durango, off U.S. Highway 550. The location, however, met pushback from some involved in the project who said not only were they caught off guard by the decision, but the site would only cover a small portion of the Four Corners. As a result, the county put the brakes on the project to research other potential sites.
“People challenged us to take a harder look and see if we could find a better site,” Stevens said. “And I think we did.”
About a dozen potential sites (some outside La Plata County) where whittled down to six. They were evaluated on a number of factors, including coverage area, road access, infrastructure and who owned the land. While some sites offered the best coverage, they lacked infrastructure, while others offered amenities but had blind spots that defeated the purpose of the project.
Ultimately, the county believes the Durango-La Plata County Airport strikes the best balance.
A storm unleashes over the Animas Valley. A new radar system spearheaded by La Plata County will now help better predict weather
events in the Four Corners, long a black hole for accurate forecasting./ File photo
Out of the black hole
by Jonathan Romeo
Three years in the making, La Plata County is ready to move forward with a new radar station for the Four Corners, a blind spot when it comes to weather and radar modeling.
Referred to as a “black hole” in the weather world, the Four Corners has never had accurate forecasting methods, as hubs in Albuquerque, Flagstaff and Grand Junction take in data at too high of an elevation. The gap in information not only means an inability to forecast storms, it also makes it more difficult to predict water availability in an increasingly water-strapped West.
Over the years, efforts to bring a new radar station to the Four Corners have come up short. In summer 2018, however, destructive flooding in the 416 Fire burn scar highlighted the need to predict incoming storms that could pose a threat to homes north of Durango.
The following year, the major hurdle – funding – was solved when the State of Colorado awarded La Plata County $1.7 million to lead the radar project. But perhaps the most important question still loomed: Where to put the new station.
A number of sites have been evaluated in the ensuing years, and not just for the best coverage. County officials also have to consider other factors, such as road access and existing infrastructure like power, which can have a huge impact on the total cost of the project.
After some setbacks in the past few years, La Plata County told The Durango Telegraph this week the location has finally been selected: the Durango-La Plata County Airport.
“We think we have the right site,” County Manager Chuck Stevens said. “And there’s an overwhelming amount of support to bring this project to fruition.”
Need for a heads up
The push for a radar system for the Four Corners is not a new issue. For years, local officials have raised the alarm that the region’s existing weather stations cannot track storm systems in this corner of the state.
“It’s one of the most significant (blind spots) in the country,” Kenneth Howard, program manager and research meteorologist for the National Severe Storms Laboratory Center, said.
In Grand Junction, for instance, the radar system on Grand Mesa is unable to pick up storms at elevations below 28,000 feet. In the San Juan Mountains, however, it’s not uncommon for storms to develop at around 14,000 feet.
“It puts us in a vulnerable position, because we can’t effectively forecast and know if storm cells are coming our way,” Stevens said.
After the Missionary Ridge Fire in 2002 created flashflood risks off the burn scar to homes below, local officials made a concerted effort to bring proper equipment to Southwest Colorado. But the attempt never materialized.
In fact, it wasn’t until after destructive landslides damaged a number of homes in the wake of the 416 Fire that local officials had the leverage they needed. How could emergency officials warn residents of debris flows when there was no way to see where storms were headed?
“We’ve needed (a radar system) for years, but the 416 Fire really highlighted this gap,” Stevens said.
And the winner is...
Since receiving the grant money from the state’s Department of Local Affairs, Stevens said siting the radar system has been challenging. The goal: to find the best location to serve as many people as possible.
In September 2020, La Plata County and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe partnered to secure a site on tribal lands about 10 miles south of Durango, off U.S. Highway 550. The location, however, met pushback from some involved in the project who said not only were they caught off guard by the decision, but the site would only cover a small portion of the Four Corners. As a result, the county put the brakes on the project to research other potential sites.
“People challenged us to take a harder look and see if we could find a better site,” Stevens said. “And I think we did.”
About a dozen potential sites (some outside La Plata County) where whittled down to six. They were evaluated on a number of factors, including coverage area, road access, infrastructure and who owned the land. While some sites offered the best coverage, they lacked infrastructure, while others offered amenities but had blind spots that defeated the purpose of the project.
Ultimately, the county believes the Durango-La Plata County Airport strikes the best balance.
