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In less than a month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will have an official pulse on atmospheric conditions in Linn and Miami counties.

Through the use of an existing Kansas Department of Transportation tower located southeast of Parker, on Jan. 15, the National Weather Service went online for a 30-day trial with a service that will provide official warning announcements for the two counties.

“The tower must go through a minimum 30-day performance period before the National Weather Service officially makes the announcement that the tower is up and running,” said Linn County Emergency Management Coordinator Doug Barlet.

The 30-day test period is required before the official announcement is made to ensure no technical problems are incurred, Barlet said.

In the past, weather alert coverage had been obtained through the National Weather Service in Pleasant Hill, Mo., through the tower located in El Dorado Springs, Mo. The Parker tower will provide better announcements specifically targeting Linn and Miami counties.

Linn County fire departments have been given early access to the Parker tower’s information on hand-held radios, and Barlet said he expects fire trucks to be set to the frequency in the near future.

“People should not expect it to be completely reliable just yet; while we can listen to it, there could still be a technical problem during the trial period,” Barlet said.

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