Major Hardware Upgrade for the KOAX WSR-88D Radar beginning January 13th

Beginning January 13, 2020, the KOAX WSR-88D radar operated by the NOAA National Weather Service in Valley, NE will be down for approximately five days for the refurbishment of the transmitter.
 

During the downtime, adjacent radars include: KFSD in Sioux Falls, SD, KDMX in Des Moines, IA, KEAX in Pleasant Hill,MO, KTWX near Topeka, KS, KUEX near Hastings, NE, and KLNX near North Platte, NE. For direct access to any of these surrounding radar sites, go to the following web page: https://radar.weather.gov/index.htm

For a radar mosaic loop of the Upper Mississippi Valley:

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

Details of the upgrade:

Although the form, fit, and function of the transmitter will remain the same, old breakers and cables original to the radar will be replaced with modern fuses and new cables.  This will help keep the 20-year-old radar operating smoothly for another 20 years. This transmitter update is the second 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 projects completed were installation of the new signal processor, and the refurbishment of the pedestal and equipment shelters. This transmitter update would complete the upgrade to the KOAX radar. The Service Life Extension Program will complete nationwide in 2022.

The KOAX 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.

The National Weather Service in Omaha/Valley, Nebraska can be found on social media at US National Weather Service Omaha/Valley Nebraska on Facebook and @NWSOmaha on Twitter.