Subject: KLZK Radar Down for Service Life Extension Update Week of January 14th
January 10, 2019
Contacts:
Jim Reynolds, Meteorologist In Charge
James.Reynolds@noaa.gov, 501.392.3354
Dennis Cavanaugh, Warning Coordination Meteorologist
Dennis.Cavanaugh@noaa.gov, 501.392.3355
Beginning Monday, January 14th, the KLZK WSR-88D radar operated by the NOAA National
Weather Service in Little Rock, AR will be down for approximately five days for the refurbishment
of the transmitter. 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 will help keep the 20-year-old radar operating smoothly for another 20 years.
This transmitter update is the second major project of the NEXRAD Service Life Extension
Program, 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 the 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.
During the downtime, adjacent radars include: KSRX in Fort Smith, AR; KNQA, in Memphis,
TN; KSGF, in Springfield, MO; and KSHV in Shreveport, LA. For direct access to any of
these surrounding radar sites, go to the following web page:
https://radar.weather.gov/index.htm
The KLZK 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.
For a radar mosaic loop of the South Mississippi Valley, please visit:
https://radar.weather.gov/ridge/Conus/southmissvly_loop.php
You can also visit our local webpage at: www.weather.gov/LZK
The National Weather Service in Little Rock, AR can be found on social media at
www.facebook.com/NWSLittleRock and, as @NWSLittleRock on twitter.
