Gray Maine Radar Out of Service October 24th through November 7th for Major Upgrade

***National Weather Service Gray Announces Radar Outage during Major Upgrade***

Beginning October 24th, the 2022 WSR-88D operated by NOAA’s National Weather Service in Gray, ME will be down for approximately two weeks for an important upgrade. Technicians will refurbish and replace the 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 will require the radome to be removed by crane and replaced when the work is completed.

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 fourth 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 3rd project was the refurbishment of the equipment shelters. The Service Life Extension Program will be complete in 2023.

During the downtime, adjacent radars include: KBOX (Norton, MA), TBOX (Boston, MA), KENX (Albany, NY), KBTV (Burlington, VT), KCBW (Hodgdon, ME). For direct access to any of these surrounding radar sites, go to the following web page: https://radar.weather.gov  A single radar site can be viewed by going to the “Select View” menu option then clicking on “Local Radar” to select a single radar site.

The KGYX 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.

More information about the SLEP process can be found at this link: https://www.roc.noaa.gov/WSR88D/SLEP/SLEP.aspx

The National Weather Service in Gray, Maine can be found on social media at https://www.facebook.com/NWSGray/ & https://twitter.com/NWSGray

For additional information contact:

Donald Dumont, Warning Coordination Meteorologist

Donald.dumont@noaa.gov, 207-688-3221 x223

or

Hendricus Lulofs, Meteorologist In Charge

Hendricus.Lulofs@noaa.gov, 207-688-3221 x221