Kudos to Bart Fisher for his accurate article last week on the history and positive farm economics provided by the present Weather Modification Program in the area.
We remember that wonderful Bowman Radar was installed at the Bowman Airport as a necessary supporting component of the Weather Modification Program. We and the majority of the people in Bowman and Slope Counties look at that wonderfully clear radar picture on the ND State Water Commission website when threatening weather is approaching. It seems logical to us that if the Weather Modification program is voted down, that wonderful radar that came with the Weather Modification Program will also be decommissioned and removed some time later.
The Bowman Radar, while providing weather coverage to Bowman and Slope Counties, also provides excellent weather coverage to surrounding areas in North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Wyoming. The Bowman Radar provides weather coverage from Glendive to Belle Fourche and Hulett and from Billings to Lemon and Glen Ullin.
Before the Bowman Radar was installed there was a radar coverage hole in the local area. (Basically there was little to no weather radar coverage of Bowman and the surrounding area by the national weather radar system. ) Other radars like the Bismarck radar might provide some local coverage but these radars are too far away to provide us with that clear accurate coverage that we get from our Bowman Radar located at the new Bowman Regional Airport. We don’t want that radar coverage hole to reappear.
If you depend on that clear Bowman Radar picture on your cell phone, iPad or computer to keep you and your family safe when threatening weather is approaching, you should vote to keep the Weather Modification Program. The election is on Nov. 8. The question on the ballot is “Shall the Weather Modification Authority be abolished?” You will have to vote no to retain the local Weather Modification Program and that nice clear and accurate Bowman radar picture on your cell phone, iPad and computer.
This upcoming election is an important one. Vote to not abolish the Weather Modification Authority to keep you and your family safe when storm clouds appear on our western horizon.
- Albert (Albie) and Lloyd Holecek, Bowman County
