WRAL-TV in Raleigh, NC, recently unveiled the first Guardian weather radar in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Guardian, a Megawatt dual-polarization broadcast radar from Baron Services, is a powerful broadcast radar with 256 color levels, high resolution and Hydrometeor Classification. WRAL is the fifth television station to use the dual-polarization technology.

Unlike conventional Doppler radar systems, which transmit solely a horizontal scan, Baron’s Guardian radar emits horizontal and vertical energy, making detection of specific precipitation types easier. The new radar enables WRAL meteorologists to identify at neighborhood-level where and what type of precipitation is falling.

In 2004, Baron Services teamed up with the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) and WHNT-TV resulting in the first broadcast dual-polarization radar. Since then, four major-market stations have turned to Baron Services for dual-polarization Guardian radars. The first went to KRIV-TV in Houston. The others include WFLD-TV in Chicago, WNYW-TV in New York City and now WRAL-TV.

For more information, visit: www.baronservices.com.