National Weather Service says Evansville-area radar will be down for two weeks

EVANSVILLE — Starting Monday, the Owensville, Indiana-based radar operated by the National Weather Service will be out of service for about two weeks while an upgrade is made.

It's a "major upgrade," according to an announcement by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The National Weather Service is an agency of NOAA.

"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," NOAA's statement said. "The components are extremely heavy and will require the radome to be removed by crane and replaced when the work is completed."

The upgrade may not sound like something people who depend on the National Weather Service could ever do or understand − but it is "necessary to keep the radar functioning for another 20 years or more," NOAA said.

NOAA, the National Weather Service and the U.S. Air Force will pump $135 million into the overarching "Service Life Extension Program," according to NOAA.

"The pedestal refurbishment is the third major project of the NEXRAD Service Life Extension Program (SLEP), a series of upgrades that will keep our nation’s radars viable into the 2030s," the agency stated.

While the Service Life Extension Program is ongoing, NOAA stated, adjacent radars will be available, including those in Paducah, Kentucky; Lincoln, Illinois; and Indianapolis.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Weather radar for Evansville, Indiana, down for two weeks