THUNDER BAY — Environment Canada is relocating its Thunder Bay-area weather radar station, and installing advanced apparatus that will improve the accuracy of forecasts.
The existing Superior West radar is located at Lasseter Lake, north of the city off Highway 527.
The new site will be farther south, off Highway 527 in Shuniah.
It's part of a network of 33 facilities across the country.
In 2017, the federal government announced plans to replace the network with advanced equipment.
The work is being done in stages, with completion set for 2024.
Environment Canada says the new technology enables forecasters to better distinguish between rain, snow, hail and freezing rain, as well as better discern the size, shape and variety of precipitation particles.
It also helps meteorologists identify and remove non-meteorological targets such as birds, bugs and debris from the radar data.
In addition, the new equipment has an extended severe-weather detection range, increasing Doppler coverage to 240 kilometres for each radar from the current 120 kilometres.
All of this, Environment Canada says, makes for more precise and timely weather watches and warnings for the public.
Northwestern Ontario's only other weather radar, near Dryden, was upgraded last year.
A spokesperson told TBNewswatch that when the Thunder Bay site is replaced, the additional range will further improve radar coverage for the entire region
"It's going to lead to more seamless coverage for Northwestern Ontario," he said.
The spokesperson noted that the new site in Shuniah will also give technicians easier access for maintenance than the existing location, which is more remote.
The radar will consist of a 25-metre lattice steel tower with a 12-metre diameter dome at the top, for a total height of nearly 40 metres.
Environment Canada has issued a public notice about the plan, but has not yet indicated when construction will begin.
