Sioux Falls Radar Upgrade Ongoing

Beginning Tuesday January 21, 2020, the KFSD WSR-88D radar operated by the NOAA National Weather Service in Sioux Falls will be down for approximately five days for the refurbishment of the transmitter. The Sioux Falls radar is the last radar to undergo this equipment upgrade.

During the downtime, adjacent radars include: KDMX (Des Moines, IA), KABR (Aberdeen, SD), KUNR (Rapid City, SD), KOAX (Omaha, NE), KMPX (Chanhassen, MN), and KLBF (North Platte, NE). For direct access to any of these surrounding radar sites, go to the following web page: http://radar.weather.gov/index.htm

For a radar mosaic loop of the Upper Mississippi Valley Sector go to the following web page:

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 upgrade will help keep the 25 year-old radar operating smoothly into the 2030s. The transmitter upgrade is the second major project of the WSR-88D Service Life Extension Program (SLEP), 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 a new signal processor. The two remaining projects are the refurbishment of the pedestal and equipment shelters. The Service Life Extension Program will complete in 2022.

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