WSR-57 radars were the primary weather surveillance radar used by the United States for over 35 years. The National Weather Service operated a network of this model radar across the country, watching for severe weather.
History
thumb|left|Radar image of [[Early May 1965 tornado outbreak|tornado-producing supercells over Minneapolis, 1965]]
The WSR-57 (Weather Surveillance Radar – 1957) was the first 'modern' weather radar. Initially commissioned at the Miami Hurricane Forecast Center, the WSR-57 was installed in other parts of the Contiguous United States (CONUS). The WSR-57 was the first generation of radars designed expressly for a national warning network.
The WSR-57 was designed in 1957 by Dewey Soltow using World War II technology, using modified versions of those used by United States Navy aircraft. In accordance with the Joint Electronics Type Designation System, it was designated AN/FPS-41, as the 41st design of an Army-Navy fixed radar(pulsed) electronic device for searching. It provided only coarse reflectivity data and no velocity data, which made it extremely difficult to predict tornadoes.
As the network of WSR-57 radars aged, some were replaced with WSR-74S models of similar performance but with better reliability. WSR-57 operators sometimes had to scramble for spare parts no longer manufactured in this country. The WSR-57 radars were gradually replaced by the Weather Surveillance Radar - 1988, Doppler, WSR-88D, which NOAA named the NEXRAD network. The last WSR-57 radar in the United States was decommissioned on December 2, 1996. in the S band, which is also used by today's weather radar network.
- WSR-57 radars had the following statistics: the following:
{| border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="3" style="text-align:left"
|-
! Site (Site ID) || Commissioned<br />(Date / Chronological Rank) || Decommissioned
|-
|Miami, FL (MIA)<br />
Moved to Coral Gables in 1966.
|June 26,<!-- installed end of May: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/topics/html/jan1597.htm and commissioned June 26th http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/noaa/wx_services_in_us.htm--> 1959<br /> Replaced WSR-1
1st
|August 24, 1992<br />
Destroyed by the winds of Hurricane Andrew.<!-- MFL Miami FL WSR-57 decommissioned December 1, 1995 according to NWS -->
|-
|Kansas City, MO (MCI)<!-- (KKC? KXC?) --><br />
The dome used to reside downtown on the old Federal Building at 911 Walnut Street<br />
per SPC history
|1959<br />
2nd<br />
Replaced a WSR-1
|November 9, 1995
|- Replaced
|Charleston, SC (CHS)
Among first 31<br />
Replaced a WSR-3
|Replaced with a WSR-74S<!-- at some point; June 19, 1993 is when the 88D started -->.
|-
|Amarillo, TX (AMA)
|March 6, 1961<br />
Among first 31<br />
Replaced a WSR-1
|September 15, 1994
|-
|Norman, OK - NSSL<br />
Research radar; not part of the national operational network. Originally located at NSSL facility on the University of Oklahoma - Norman's North Research Campus near 35.23807,-97.46264 and later relocated to Woodward, OK in the 1989 as an off-network radar operated to support local emergency management and ARES services in an area of poor network radar coverage. Radar tower and antenna remains in place at 36.44133,-99.37137
|1962?<!-- or shortly thereafter - "lab established" then, according to http://www.cig.ensmp.fr/~iahs/redbooks/a065/065028.pdf --><br />
Probably not counted among first 31
|1980s
|-
|Catalina Island, CA (STC?)<br />
a.k.a. Santa Catalina - atop Blackjack Mountain<!-- not far from Los Angeles -->.
|June 1, 1963<br />
Among first 31<!-- http://www.cig.ensmp.fr/~iahs/redbooks/a065/065028.pdf -->
|March 24, 1968<br />
Station closed
|-
|Little Rock, AR (LIT was the WSR-57 designator. LZK is the WSR-88D and WFO Designation.<!-- LIT on map of http://www.cig.ensmp.fr/~iahs/redbooks/a065/065028.pdf -->)
|April 19, 1961
Among first 31
| Moved to North Little Rock Airport with NWSFO in 1975. Final decommissioning was June 8, 1995
|-
|Sacramento, CA (SAC)
|February 2, 1960
Among first 31
|August 24, 1995
|-
|Washington, D.C. (IAD)<br />
At Washington Dulles International Airport, Dulles, VA.
|Early 1960s<br />
Among first 31
|Early 1980s<br />
Replaced by a WSR-74S at Patuxent River, MD.
|-
|Apalachicola, FL (AQQ)
|December 28, 1959
Among first 31
|January 19, 1996
|-
|Daytona Beach, FL (DAB)
|May 14, 1960
Among first 31
|December 1, 1995
|-
|Des Moines, IA (DSM)
|May 27, 1960<!-- on map of http://www.cig.ensmp.fr/~iahs/redbooks/a065/065028.pdf --><br />
Among first 31<br />
Replaced a WSR-1
|May 7, 1996
|-
|Chicago, IL (CHI)<br />
Moved to Marseilles, IL (MMO) June 1, 1972 to April 5, 1973<br />
A WR100-5 was leased during the move to Marseilles, IL
|January 2, 1963<br />
Second commissioning April 5, 1973<br />
Among first 31<br />
Replaced a WSR-3
|1st decommissioning May 31, 1972<br />
Final decommissioning February 28, 1983<br />
Replaced by a WSR-74S
|-
|Evansville, IN (EVV)<br />
Serial model 8<br />
Was located at 38.03565,-87.53854
|April 28, 1960<!-- Probably Early 1960s and among the first 31 - on that map. --><br />
Among first 31
|July 12, 1996
|-
|Lake Charles, LA (LCH)<br />
Serial model 2
|July 10, 1961<br />
Among first 31<br />
Replaced a WSR-1
|October 12, 1995
|-
|New Orleans, LA (MSY)<br /> (SIL at Slidell, LA)
Originally on roof of Federal Building in New Orleans
before moving to 1120 Old Spanish Trail in Slidell, LA
|November 2, 1960<br />
Among first 31<br />
Replaced a WSR-1
|August 22, 1995
|-
|Minneapolis, MN (MSP)<br />
At the airport
|September 12, 1961<!-- according to http://www.crh.noaa.gov/mpx/history/airport.php --><br />
Among first 31
|April 3, 1996
|-
|Missoula, MT (MSO)<br />
At Point Six Mountain
|November 1, 1961<!-- according to http://www.srh.noaa.gov/key/HTML/StationHistory.htm --><br />
Among first 31
|December 12, 1995
|-
|Atlantic City, NJ (ACY)
|August 25, 1961<br />
Among first 31
|September 13, 1995
|-
|New York City, NY (NYC)<br />
At 30 Rockefeller Plaza.
none|100px|WSR-57 dome atop 30 Rockefeller
|March 6, 1961<br />
Among first 31
|September 26, 1995
|-
|Oklahoma City, OK (OKC)<br />
Was located at 35.40159,-97.60149
|April 1, 1960<!-- on map of http://www.cig.ensmp.fr/~iahs/redbooks/a065/065028.pdf --><br />
Among first 31<br />
Replaced a WSR-1
|July 25, 1994
|-
|Brunswick Naval Air Station, ME (NHZ)
|January 1, 1962 (under Navy operations)<br />
Transferred to NOAA<br />
December 5, 1969
|February 1, 1985<br />
Replaced by a WSR-74S in Portland, ME (PWM).
|-
|Jackson, MS (JAN)<br />
At Jackson International Airport at Thompson Field.
|March 7, 1969<br />
Replaced a WSR-3
|June 21, 1995
|-
|Limon, CO (LIC)
|July 1, 1970
|December 22, 1995
|-
|Garden City, KS (GCK)
|March 31, 1970
|September 1, 1994
|-
|Grand Island, NE (GRI)
|June 15, 1971
|January 19, 1996
Has been torn down to make way for a new airport terminal
|-
|Buffalo, NY (BUF)
|October 29, 1961
|February 14, 1996
|-
| colspan="3" | A note on the chronological ranks - The first 31 were built through the early 1960s, at existing Weather Bureau offices. 14 were along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts. 11 were in the Midwest. 3 were inland of the East Coast, and California and Montana had one each on mountaintops. The late 1960s saw 14 more built east of the Rockies.
|-
|Nashville, TN (BNA)<br />
(OHX is the WSR-88D)<br />
At Old Hickory Lake<br />
|November 30, 1970<!-- according to http://www.srh.weather.gov/bna/research/history.htm -->
Replaced a WSR-3
|January 19, 1996<!-- decom. December 12, 1995 according to http://www.srh.weather.gov/bna/research/history.htm -->
|-
|Memphis, TN [http://www.srh.noaa.gov/meg/background.html]<br />
(MEG is the WSR-88D)<br />
At the Millington Naval Air Station (NQA).<br />
Moved to Memphis (MEM)
|July 1, 1961 (under Navy operations)<br />
Operations transferred to NOAA<br />
February 1, 1971
|January 6, 1986<br />
Replaced by a WSR-74S.
|-
|Medford, OR (MFR)
|June 30, 1971
|August 30, 1996
|-
|Centreville, AL (CKL)<br />
8 miles southwest of Brent, AL
|December 10, 1970<br />
2nd commissioning August 10, 1973
|May 27, 1973 heavily damaged by an F4 tornado
Final decommissioning June 27, 1995
|-
|Pensacola, FL (NPA)<!-- see Talk page - listed as NPA at time of decommissioning -->
|
|January 19, 1996
|-
|Athens, GA (AHN)
|June 21, 1966
|September 13, 1996
|-
|Waycross, GA (AYS)
|August 6, 1969
|January 19, 1996
|-
|Cape Hatteras, NC (HAT)
At what is now 47730 Buxton Back Road
|January 30, 1968 <br />
Replaced a SP-1M
|December 6, 1995
|-
|Pittsburgh, PA (PIT)<br />
(PBZ is the WSR-88D)
|August 1, 1966
|May 10, 1995
|-
|Huron, SD (HON)
|October 30, 1971
|November 4, 1996, now a live dual-polarization for KELO-TV
|-
|Bristol, TN (TRI)<br />
Located at 6247 Panhandle Road atop Holston Mountain near Elizabethton
|May 25, 1972
|January 19, 1996
|-
|Midland/Odessa, TX (MAF)
|June 15, 1972<br />
Replaced a WSR-1
|June 4, 1996
|-
|Neenah, WI (EEW)
At 3009 Fairview Road
|June 28, 1971
|November 2, 1995
|-
|Hondo, TX (HDO)
|August 2, 1971 <br />
66th and final WSR-57
|March 14, 1996
|-
|Monett, MO (UMN)
Located at 3258 Farm Road 1090 south of Monett
|March 18, 1971
|February 1, 1996
|-
|Chatham, MA (CHH)<br />
Transfer of operations from the SP-1M at Nantucket, MA
|August 9, 1971
|Replaced by a WSR-74S
|}
References
See also
- List of radars
- List of military electronics of the United States