A weather transmitter on Mount Greylock should be back online in October.

ADAMS, Mass. — The National Weather Service expects to have a weather transmitter on top of Mount Greylock to be operational by Oct. 1.

 

On Monday, the meterologist in charge of the Weather Service's Albany, N.Y., office said that federal agency is waiting for the go-ahead from the commonwealth of Massachusetts to install its equipment on a tower located 100 yards from the site that previously housed the equipment.

 

"We're always looking at finding the best possible cost for the service," Raymond O'Keefe said. "The cost is less where it's going than where it was. We're trying to save the taxpayer some money."

 

The transmitter, call signal WWF48 operating at a frequency of 162.525 megahertz, was placed out of service on May 30 when the NWS contract expired with the private owner of the tower the transmitter previously called home.

 

"When the lease expires, we go through a process to see how much it costs and if there are alternatives that are less expensive," O'Keefe said. "This time, we decided it was less expensive to go to a tower that is literally just down the street.

 

"It's still on top of Mount Greylock. The plan is we kept it there to provide the same level of service that we have before. We haven't changed anything other than moving it."

 

O'Keefe said the Oct. 1 timetable for resumption of service is realistic.

 

The Mount Greylock installation is part of a nationwide network of 1,000 transmitters covering all 50 states. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Radio network broadcasts official warnings, watches, forecasts and other hazard information 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

 

According to the NWS, the two nearest transmitters offering alternative coverage for this part of Berkshire County are WXM82 in Egremont (162.450 MHz) and Ames HIll, Vt., WXM68 (162.425 MHz).