NOAA Weather Radio Station KXI-48 (Newton)

KXI-48 operates 24 hours a day at a frequency of 162.450 MHz. KXI-48 transmits at 1,000 watts of power, from the Clear Talk Communications tower located 6 miles south southwest of Newton.

KXI-48 serves 10 counties in southeast Illinois:

Clark (017023), Clay (017025), Crawford (017033), Cumberland (017035), Edwards (017047), Effingham (017049), Jasper (017079), Lawrence (017101), Richland (017159), Wayne (017191).

Numbers in parentheses are used for the Specific Area Message Encoder (SAME), utilized by many NOAA Weather Radio receivers.

The approximate coverage area is shown at left. This is based on computer projections, and may vary due to placement of your radio, direction of the transmitting antenna on the broadcast tower, and environmental issues. Click here for more details.

Listeners in Clark County can also receive severe weather warnings on station KXI-47 in Paris. Effingham County is also covered by station KXI-46 in Shelby County. Wayne County is also covered by station KXI-49 in Salem, and Edwards County is also covered by station KIG-76 in Evansville, Indiana.

Routine Programming:

Newton and Vicinity Forecast: A forecast for southeast Illinois for the next 7 days. It airs continuously, and is routinely updated at 4 AM and 3:30 PM. Updates in between these times occur as necessary.
Hourly Weather Roundup: Detailed hourly observations for the Lawrenceville Airport, as well as temperature and observed weather at many locations around the Midwest, are updated at 2 minutes past each hour.
Hazardous Weather Outlook: This product gives a summary of expected weather hazards over the next 7 days, and information on when storm spotters may need to be activated. It airs from 6 to 10 AM, and 3 to 7 PM daily. It is also updated around 11:30 AM as conditions warrant.
Climate Summaries: Daily summaries for observed conditions at the Lawrenceville and Mattoon Airports air periodically from 5 to 9 am, and 6 to 8 pm.
Morning River Stages: Observed river stages along the Wabash, Embarras, and Little Wabash Rivers air mornings from 8 to 11 AM.
River Flood Statements: When flooding affects the Wabash, Little Wabash, or Embarras Rivers, statements will list current and forecast stages for several points along the affected rivers. These are updated at 3 AM, 11 AM, 3 PM, and 9 PM, and play every 15 minutes.

Non-Routine Programming:

During adverse weather conditions, some normal programming is suspended. This is done to broadcast more important information frequently.

During severe thunderstorm and tornado watches, and flood warnings, the following will NOT air: Climate Summary, Morning River Stages. Also, hourly weather reports will be limited to nearby stations only.
Most normal programming is eliminated during severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings. Broadcast cycles are limited to severe weather watches and warnings, flood warnings, and Hourly Weather Roundup (local sites only).

When a severe weather watch or warning is issued, it is preceded by special alarm signals, which activate specially designed weather radios. These radios will alert you to the warning broadcast, through use of a siren or other means of notification. Radios that have the alarm feature and a battery backup are highly recommended. The cost of these radios range around $20 upward. Click here for more information on weather radio receivers.

In southeast Illinois, the alarm features will be used for the following messages:

Tornado Watches and Warnings
Severe Thunderstorm Watches and Warnings
Flash Flood Warnings
Blizzard Warnings
Non-Weather Emergency Messages
AMBER Alerts (SAME feature only)

This alarm feature is tested on Wednesdays between 10 AM and 1 PM. If severe weather is a threat, the test will be held the first available good-weather day.