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Cold Temperatures for the Eastern U.S.; Lake Effect Snow in the Great Lakes; Heavy Rain in the Pacific Northwest

Cold temperatures will continue across much of the eastern U.S. into today. Heavy lake effect snow continues into today east of Lakes Erie and Ontario. Two Pacific cold fronts will cross the Pacific Northwest early this week followed by another atmospheric river. Heavy rain and gusty winds are expected through midweek, with the potential for renewed urban and river flooding. Read More >

During the middle of September 2001, the weather radar at NWS Spokane got a new paint job. The pictures below show the daring feats that the painters undertook in order to complete the job. The actual radar dish is inside this large white ball (known as a radome). The radome is designed to protect the radar from the weather elements. As you can see from the pictures, it looks a bit like a soccer ball. When it was initially assembled back in February 1996, the radome was shipped in the pieces you can see, and then assembled on the ground before a crane lifted it into place. The radome has a hatch door at the very top. This allows the maintainence crews to climb onto the top of the radome, and then hang from support ropes while painting.

 

Workers painting radar dome
Workers painting radar dome
Workers painting radar dome