HUMBOLDT —Think of it as a cherry on top.
Humboldt Council members agreed Monday to allow a Kentucky-based company to place a 5,000-pound dome-shaped weather radar station on top of the water tower north of town. That the 80-foot water tower is shaped like a golf ball, is just a happy coincidence.
The massive tower holds 200,000 gallons of water, the equivalent of about 1.6 million pounds.
“I guess a 5,000-pound ball on top won’t make much of a difference,” said Cole Herder, Humboldt city administrator, in remarks after Monday’s meeting.
A round fiberglass structure will contain the weather station and will be accessible from the inside of the water tower, a decided advantage.
Bryce Kintigh, senior partner specialist with Climavision Operating, LLC, of Louisville, Ky., introduced the concept to council members at their Dec. 11 meeting.
Positioning the weather station on the outskirts of town is beneficial, Kintigh said, because the radar doesn’t detect what is directly above it but rather the surrounding areas from about a quarter mile beyond.
Kintigh, also a meteorologist, referred to this as a “small cone of silence.”
Humboldt has three water towers. The oldest is on the square and holds about 75,000 gallons; the largest is a block directly south of city hall and holds about 300,000 gallons of water.
The newest was built in 1979 in Humboldt’s Industrial Park.
Allen County is well-positioned for the radar station, Kintigh explained in December, with the nearest National Weather Service office in Wichita. Once functioning, the system will provide local municipalities access to live radar feeds for the purpose of forecasting, public alerts and emergency preparation activities.
Kintigh described Climavision as a small, but growing, company that is looking to fill in “the gaps” in transmission of traditional weather radar information across the country.
Humboldt’s installation will be the company’s first in Kansas.
Climavision will extend electrical and communications lines up to the weather station. Its logo will also be placed on the outside.
The lease between Humboldt and Climavision is for 20 years.
