Regional Outbreaks of Severe Weather Through Early Next Week; Early Season Heat Wave across the South

Active spring pattern across the center of our nation with several episodes of severe weather and heavy rainfall expected into next week. The potential for very large hail, long track tornadoes, severe wind gusts, frequent cloud to ground lightning strikes and flash flooding are in the outlook. Furthermore, dangerous early season heat wave continues for the Gulf Coast states into early next week. Read More >

The KMKX WSR-88D operated by NOAA’s National Weather Service in Milwaukee/Sullivan, Wisconsin will be down for approximately two weeks for an important upgrade from March 28th through April 8th. Technicians will refurbish and replace the pedestal, one of the most critical components of the radar, which is necessary for antenna rotation and positioning to capture data in all directions. The components are extremely heavy and will require the radome to be removed by crane and replaced when the work is completed.

Here's an example of what will be happening to our radar over the next 2 weeks: youtu.be/HLLIH5kHD6Q

The radar and pedestal were designed to last 25 years, and this radar has exceeded its life-span. This activity is necessary to keep the radar functioning for another 20 years or more.

The pedestal refurbishment is the third major project of the NEXRAD Service Life Extension Program, a series of upgrades that will keep our nation’s radars viable into the 2030s. To learn more about SLEP, please visit: Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) (noaa.gov)

During the downtime, adjacent radars will be available, including: Milwaukee Terminal Doppler (TMKE), Green Bay (KGRB), La Crosse (KARX), Davenport/Quad Cities (KDVN), and Chicago/Romeoville (KLOT). For direct access to any of these surrounding radar sites, visit the following web page: https://radar.weather.gov/

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Regional Outbreaks of Severe Weather Through Early Next Week; Early Season Heat Wave across the South

KMKX Radar Outage through April 8th