Breaking News - Greater Yuma Economic Development Corporation

Weather Channel to Feature YPG Extremes

Jul. 8th, 2010
Stephanie Wilken

BY STEPHANIE A. WILKEN - SUN STAFF WRITER 2010-07-08 22:38:04 After 42 seconds airborne, a 120 mm mortar hits its target almost 4-1/2 miles away. In it are 500 grams of propellent, or gunpowder, and a component to create a smokescreen. A giant plume of white smoke rises in the distance. The testing done at Yuma Proving Ground may not be a secret to most, but one national television station will soon share it with the rest of America. The Weather Channel visited Yuma County over the week to film for its series “Cantore Stories,” a look at communities in extreme environments. And with the average temperature nearing 110 degrees during July and August, most wouldn't argue that Yuma isn't “extreme.” The show highlights communities that aren't always under distress - such as Key West, Fla., which isn't always under a hurricane threat, he said. And with his on-air role with the Weather Channel, that's usually where Jim Cantore said he finds himself. This series is a little bit tamer. “It's kind of like a way for me to get out of that Dr. Death role,” Cantore said. Cantore and crew shot all throughout Yuma County, including a food cart, exploring the Sonoran Desert and the Yuma Territorial Prison. They also had a chance to visit neighboring Imperial County with a trip to the Imperial Sand Dunes. Thursday, they witnessed test officers at YPG put military munition through the rigors of a desert summer. The test officers at YPG use a M121 Mortar System to shoot 500 rounds of mortars over a period of six to seven days. The munition comes from military installations all over the world, and the test ensures time and conditions have not degraded their quality, said Kevin Irr, test officer for the mortar systems group. The 120 mm mortar is the largest in the U.S. military and creates a smokescreen for troops in combat. “At night, you don't want the enemy to see where the troops are moving to,” he said. “So they can throw these rounds out there, fire them out in maybe a certain pattern.” For Cantore, the desert environment in Yuma County isn't exactly the worst they've been to. “Death Valley was brutal,. There's interesting characters everywhere you go, but you tend to find a lot more of them when you go to extreme areas.”

Stephanie Wilken
Sun Staff Writer
The Sun
Jul. 8th, 2010

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