By KSN Chief Meteorologist Dave Freeman

April 2005 -- It's a long way from the magnetic or static-cling plastic H's, L's, pieces of fronts, lightning bolts and raindrops that I used in my earliest weathercasts, nearly 24 years ago. This spring, the KSN WeatherLab unveiled a host of major new technologies that will help us track storms better than ever. The KSN WeatherLab @ Exploration Place is bristling with powerful new computers and innovative technology that you won't find anywhere else. Let's take a tour of these new storm tracking tools!

First, our mainstay, KSN High Definition Doppler Radar, has been upgraded to provide unprecedented detail of storms. As you know, High Definition is already the most powerful, most accurate and fastest private Doppler radar in Kansas. And this year, we have built on that great foundation and made this great tool even more valuable. We now are able to analyze storms in 256 different levels of detail--16 times more than other private radars in Kansas! That is 16 times the information about the structure of storms, which will help the KSN WeatherLab meteorologists get an even better view of dangerous conditions. As we have always said, better information for us means a better warning for you. So now High Definition Doppler Radar not only has the most power (350,000 watts), the most accuracy (capable of seeing features just a bit bigger than half a football field, 60 meters), and the fastest updates (up to 1 minute faster than other radars). Now it also packs 16 times as much information into those scans of the sky!

The KSN WeatherLab also now has the capability of displaying NEXRAD Doppler Radar in the same level of detail--providing 16 times the information across the entire KSN viewing area.

Another major innovation we have unveiled this spring is the NEW 3D Live StormCaster. This is a revolutionary way to look at storm information in three dimensions. It has already provided amazing views of our early season storms by analyzing and displaying actual radar information in dramatic, 3D views. Make no mistake--this is not just "pretty pictures!" This is real high resolution radar information displayed with unprecedented realism. We believe it will be a powerful storm tracking tool in the coming years, and more enhancements are already on the way.

The KSN WeatherLab has also begun using the TrueView system, which revolutionizes the way we analyze weather information live on the air. When you see us using the TrueView system, we are actually sampling the most up to date weather information in real time--not pre-recorded some minutes ago before the newscast. It is real radar, real temperatures, real winds, combined with sophisticated computer forecasts of conditions into the future. To make it even more "LIVE," we are able to interact with the TrueView system on the air, right in front of the camera! You will enjoy visiting Exploration Place to see how this remarkable system works.

One other major innovation we have brought to our viewers is the KSN SkyCast. This remarkable forecasting tool allows us to show you exactly what we expect for the next day in a computer animation of weather conditions. This is a unique tool that really makes it easy to see what you can expect through the night or day. The SkyCast is based on the KSN WeatherLab meteorologists' forecast, and the animation is created right here in the WeatherLab on our powerful new WeatherPro system. It is just another example of how we are investing in the future of weather forecasting and broadcasting to serve you better.

At the heart of the amazing new array of tools--along with all of the rest of our technology--is the new Weather Commander. In order to provide the fastest possible storm tracking during severe weather coverage, we use the Weather Commander to control every aspect of our on-air coverage. This year, we have upgraded to a much more powerful and sophisticated Weather Commander system custom designed to the specifications of the KSN WeatherLab Team. It puts an astounding array of powerful storm tracking tools at our fingertips, enabling us to provide the most complete severe weather coverage any time of the day or night.

Friends, you can tell that I'm excited by all of these new tools. Yes, it is fun to have the latest and greatest--there is no denying that. The KSN WeatherLab has always had the best technology, and now our bosses have made the investments to keep it that way.

But, here is the bottom line. Here is what really gets us excited: we now have the best tools money can buy to serve you, our viewers, and help you keep your family safe. THAT is what makes us tick; THAT is what gets us excited to come to work every day; THAT is what makes all of the long hours into the night worthwhile!

And, we thank you for trusting us to serve your family.

Dave Freeman
KSN Chief Meteorologist
weatherlab@ksn.com