More National Weather Service Issues

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The red symbols are radars that are currently out of service. KDDC (Dodge City) and KICT (Wichita) are the NWS's radars. They have been out since 5:45 this morning. TICH (FAA weather radar) has been out of service the past few days. 

The problem is per the 3pm outlook from the NWS Storm Prediction Center, there is a small risk of small risk of severe thunderstorms with damaging winds and large hail (dark green) in areas those radars are supposed to cover. 
Thundersrtorms are likely across their storm warning coverage areas tonight. The NWS says there is the potential for as much as 4" of rain in a small part of Kansas. 

These radars are essential for storm warnings, emergency management, water management, and agriculture...not to mention aviation. 

The radars fail at ever-increasing rates yet the NWS is not planning to field replacements until 2040. 

We desperately need a NWS and NOAA with a sense of urgency and a National Disaster Review Board to help plan and oversee this essential project. 

Comments

  1. WxmanAugust 5, 2026 at 4:06 PM

    Mike, Note that backup offices are issuing products for both DDC and ICT. It is very highly likely that there is an internet outage affecting both offices. Both radars are likely still working and being monitored by local office. ICT and DDC can still monitor the radar and would coordinate with their backup offices as needed.

    While there have been projects to update and extend the life of the 88Ds, the lack of momentum to develop and deploy a phased array radar points to another management short coming.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mike SmithAugust 12, 2026 at 2:59 PM

      I have been in touch with the appropriate NOAA people and they say that phased array does not help create better tornado warnings. Add that to the stupendous cost and I do not believe it should be deployed.

      The NWS should purchase about 30 off-the-shelf C-band gap-fillers (with alternating on/off dual polarization) and then buckle down and figure out how to replace the -88D's with rotating S-band radars. And, it needs to be done by 2035 at the latest.

      Delete

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