Contacts: 

Patrick Gilchrist, Meteorologist in Charge (Acting)  

patrick.gilchrist@noaa.gov, 406-228-2850 

July 28, 2022 

Beginning August 4th, 2022, the KGGW WSR-88D radar operated by the NOAA  National Weather Service in Glasgow, Montana will be down for approximately  seven days for the replacement of the generator, fuel tanks, and accompanying  components. This activity is important to support the radar’s operation during  periods of commercial power outages, specifically when hazardous weather is  present.  

This generator update is the fifth major project of the NEXRAD Service Life  Extension Program, a series of upgrades and replacements that will keep our  nation’s radars viable into the 2030’s. NOAA National Weather Service, the United  States Air Force, and the Federal Aviation Administration are investing $150 million  in the seven year program. The first project was the installation of the new signal  processor and the second project was the transmitter refurbishment. The two  remaining projects are the refurbishment of the pedestal and equipment shelters.  The Service Life Extension Program will complete in 2023. 

During the downtime, adjacent radars include: KTFX (Great Falls, MT), KBLX  (Billings, MT), KBIS (Bismarck, ND), and KMBX (Minot AFB). For direct access to  any of these surrounding radar sites, go to the following web page:  https://radar.weather.gov/ 

The KGGW WSR-88D is part of a network of 159 operational radars. The Radar  Operations Center in Norman, Oklahoma, provides lifecycle management and  support for all WSR-88Ds. 

For a radar mosaic loop of eastern Montana, please visit: https://radar.weather.gov 

The National Weather Service in Glasgow, MT can be found on social media at  https://www.facebook.com/NWSGlasgow and https://twitter.com/NWSGlasgow.