One of the world’s most powerful and state-of-the-art weather radars is undergoing maintenance to improve its functionality and extend its life.
The WSR-88D radar, operated by the National Weather Service in Wilmington, provides important and life-saving weather information for millions of Ohioans.
According to the National Weather Service, technicians will refurbish and replace the pedestal unit on the radar. The pedestal is one of the most critical components of the radar, allowing for antenna rotation and positioning to capture weather data in every direction.
These units are heavy and will require the radar’s dome to be removed by crane and then replaced after the work is finished.
The National Weather Service operates 159 Next Generation Radars, also known as NEXRAD. The technical name of the radar is WSR-88D, which stands for Weather Surveillance Radar, 1988 Doppler.
The designed lifespan of a WSR-88D radar is about 25 years. Most radars were installed in the early-to-mid 1990s, so the network has surpassed its expected period of operation.
The NEXRAD Service Life Extension Program was developed to extend the life of these important weather radars for another 20 years or more.
There are four phases of this project taking place at each radar site around the country. First, was installing a new digital signal processor.
Second was refurbishing the transmitter, followed by renovating equipment shelters. The last phase is the ongoing work to upgrade the pedestal unit.
This multi-year, multi-million dollar federally funded program is nearing completion. Locally, work wrapped up on the WSR-88D radar in Cleveland in March 2022 and on the radar near Pittsburgh in Aug. 2023.
The Wilmington radar will be offline for about two weeks during its construction. During rain or active weather, nearby radar sites operated by other local National Weather Service offices can be accessed.
Also, the Federal Aviation Administration operates their own network of weather radars at international airports around Ohio. These radars will also help fill the gap during the downtime.
The National Weather Service expects the Wilmington radar to be functional again around Friday, Sept. 22.
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