Miami WSR-88D KAMX Scheduled Outage Starting April 21

Contacts:
Dr. Pablo Santos, Meteorologist In Charge
pablo.santos@noaa.gov, 305-229-4522 Ext. 222

Robert Molleda, Warning Coordination Meteorologist
robert.molleda@noaa.gov, 305-229-4522 Ext. 223

April 15, 2020

Beginning April 21st, the KAMX WSR-88D radar operated by the NOAA National Weather Service in Miami, Florida, will be down for approximately nine 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 2030s. 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:

Neighboring WSR-88D Radars
* KTBW at NWS Tampa Bay Area in Ruskin
* KMLB at NWS Melbourne
* KBYX at NWS Key West

FAA TDWR Radars
* TMIA serving Miami International Airport
* TFLL serving Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
* TPBI serving Palm Beach International Airport.

For direct access to any of these surrounding radar sites, go to the following web page: https://radar.weather.gov/index.htm

The KAMX 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 the Southeast United States :

https://radar.weather.gov/ridge/Conus/southeast_loop.php

The National Weather Service in Miami, Florida can be found on social media at https://www.facebook.com/NWSMiami, https://twitter.com/NWSMiami.