An upgrade to the National Weather Service radar that serves the greater Myrtle Beach area hit a slight snag, but officials said the radar is up and running with the latest technology that gives them the ability to see a second dimension.

The radar, which is based in Shallotte, N.C., and serves Horry and Georgetown along with several N.C. counties, underwent a modification last week to give forecasters better technology to help them better identify and predict how much rain and hail is falling in a specific area during a storm.

The upgrade, which switched the radar from single polarization to dual polarization, is taking place at all 160 radar stations in the U.S. and at five overseas locations at a cost of about $225,000 per station.

Installation at the local radar was slowed after another part needed to be replaced before the new equipment could be installed, said Steven Pfaff, a warning coordination meteorologist in Wilmington, N.C. The radar passed its 18-hour test period and information is expected to be fed into vendor models starting Tuesday.

The upgrade for Wilmington's radar, which is housed in a 40-foot sphere containing the 28-foot transmitter that was modified, went "fairly smoothly," he said.

The upgrade is expected to give forecasters a better idea when bad weather is coming, thus allowing them to quickly inform the public and keep residents safe from hazards.

During the upgrade, forecasters used overlapping coverage from radars in Charleston, Columbia, Raleigh, N.C., and Morehead City, N.C., to monitor conditions. Similar radar upgrades in Morehead City and Columbia were completed earlier this year.

Doppler radar first came out in 1988 and the one in Shallotte that covers the Myrtle Beach area was installed in 1994, according to officials.