One tall paint job: SkyTower Radar getting fresh look
TAMPA, Fla. - If you’re heading down West Kennedy Boulevard, you may notice that SkyTower is looking a little brighter. Our iconic radar tower is getting a top-to-bottom paint job, its first in many years.
The 225-foot-tall SkyTower Radar tower was built along with the current WTVT studios in 1989. Prior to that, the first TV station radar in Florida sat atop a smaller tower next to the original studio building.
ARCHIVES: WTVT historical video and promos
A million-watt transmitter sits near the top of the tower. Combined with the 20-foot rotating dish inside the white ball at the top, it becomes the most powerful TV station radar in the world.
LINK: Neighborhood-level SkyTower Radar views
Last year, we added a colorized LED lighting system to the outside of the radar tower. White lights indicate normal weather, while red means threatening weather is coming. It’s also been pink and even red, white, and blue for holidays.
The new paint job will not only protect the structure, but should make those colored lights pop more.
Because of the height of the tower, spraying is not an option. Crews are rolling the paint on, one section at a time.