first on decorahnews.com: State of Iowa will upgrade weather equipment at the Decorah Airport

Sometimes when you're watching the weather forecast on a local TV station, the weather map reports Decorah is "Missing."  It's not because the town has disappeared!  Instead, the weather reporting station at the Decorah Airport is experiencing problems.

Now the Iowa Department of Transportation's Office of Aviation is beginning its first year of a three year program to update the statewide aviation weather reporting system--and the Decorah reporting system is one of the first that will be replaced.

Iowa DOT Planning and Outreach Manager Tim McClung tells decorahnews.com that nearly $140,000 has been earmarked for the project.  95 percent of the cost will be paid with a grant from the Federal Aviation Administration, with a 5 percent match from the Iowa DOT. 

McClung tells decorahnews.com that work to replace the existing weather reporting system at the Decorah Airport is expected to begin this fall and should be completed by July 31st of 2012.