Bill that would improve Charlotte’s weather radar coverages passes House

CHARLOTTE — A bill that would improve the weather radar coverage in Charlotte has passed the House of Representatives. It addresses a longtime problem Charlotte meteorologists have faced.

The bill, the Weather Act Reauthorization, is being sponsored by Rep. Jeff Jackson’s office.

Right now, Channel 9 has the Charlotte area’s only local radar. The National Weather Service doesn’t have a radar in Charlotte, and the closest NWS NEXRAD doppler radar system is in Greer, South Carolina -- more than 80 miles away.

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The NWS can sometimes be slow to warn of low-altitude thunderstorms and tornadoes because of Charlotte’s distance from the radar. And according to Jackson’s office, the Charlotte area is “one of the largest metropolitan areas in the country that isn’t covered by a nearby weather radar, endangering millions of people.”

The goal of the Weather Act Reauthorization is to close the radar gap.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, is currently mapping out its next generation of radar systems called NEXRAD. The Weather Act Reauthorization would call for NOAA to prioritize current radar gaps when deciding where to place the new systems.

Charlotte would be one of the regions to take priority because it is currently more than 75 miles away from a radar station.

The bill passed the House on Tuesday.

(WATCH BELOW: NC congressman introduces bill to improve Charlotte’s weather radar coverage)

NC congressman introduces bill to improve Charlotte’s weather radar coverage

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