The “weather bug” is a weather radar being installed on the roof of the Performing Arts Center. This weather radar will detect the local weather, provide any weather data needed, and capture live video footage for KNWA, a local television station. The weather radar was delivered May 22 and is being installed this week.
“In the next week or so the weather bug is planned to be up working,” said assistant principal Shannon Tisher.
The satellite is permanently affixed to the PAC and comes at no cost to the school, according to administrative assistant Kara New. The weather radar is “for tracking severe weather in the area and to provide the information to the community,” said Mrs. New.
The community will greatly benefit from this weather radar, especially in light of recent severe and sudden-changing weather our local area has experienced. “It lets us be on the forefront of weather and gives comfort from the recent tornadoes we have had. It also keeps us up-to-date on weather information,” said Mrs. Tisher.
Along with the community benefiting, the school also benefits. “Every time KNWA news station displays weather images over Har-Ber High School, our school’s name will appear. Just getting our name out to the community is a good thing. It creates a partnership with the local media.”
Edward Drummond, a technician from WeatherBug, installed the school’s location a high-definition weather live data camera. Drummond described the use of the weather radar as “a weather satellite displaying live shots for news and localized data.”
According to Drummond, the WeatherBug application is available for any smart phone. The app allows viewers to see the local weather data once you set Har-Ber High School WeatherBug as the location. With this app you can see reliable and current weather information such as temperature, humidity, air pressure, and dew point. The most important part of the app is it can supply the weather information in case of an emergency or severe storm. The app is free.
The weather radar from WeatherBug is a new opportunity for the school and the local weather station KNWA to communicate weather data to the public. Weather information and data will provide an accurate, clear prediction of what weather is headed towards Northwest Arkansas.