Extended Outage of the KDTX Doppler Radar Continues

KDTX Doppler radar outage continues during major upgrade

The KDTX WSR-88D Doppler weather radar, operated by NOAA’s National Weather Service Detroit/Pontiac in White Lake, Michigan remains down for an important upgrade. Technicians are replacing the antenna 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 required the radome be removed by crane. Both the pedestal and dome have been removed and replaced sucessfully. The final steps of the upgrade will now be completed over the next several days.

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. NOAA’s National Weather Service, the United States Air Force, and the Federal Aviation Administration are investing $135 million in the eight year program. The first project was the installation of the new signal processor and the second project was the refurbishment of the transmitter. The fourth project will be the refurbishment of the equipment shelters. The Service Life Extension Program will be complete in 2023.

During the downtime, adjacent radars will be available including: KAPX (NWS Gaylord, MI), KGRR (NWS Grand Rapids, MI), KIWX (NWS Northern Indiana, IN), TDTW (Detroit Metro Airport, MI), and KCLE (NWS Cleveland, OH). For direct access to any of these surrounding radar sites, visit the following web page: https://radar.weather.gov/

The KDTX 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 Detroit/Pontiac in White Lake, MI can be found on social media at https://www.facebook.com/NWSDetroit and at https://twitter.com/NWSDetroit