Indy NWS Radar to be Upgraded

 NEXRAD WSR-88D Doppler Weather Radar at the National Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma
Photo courtesy Andrew J. Oldaker under Creative Commons License

The National Weather Service will be upgrading our local weather radar in Indianapolis with dual polarization capability beginning October 9, 2012.  The radar will be offline for approximately two weeks while these improvements are installed.  During the outage, East-Central Indiana will be covered by adjacent radars in Joliet, IL; Warsaw, IN; Evansville, IN; and Wilmington, OH.

Testbed WSR-88D Radar at the National Severe Storms
Laboratory, shown here without a protective radome.
Photo courtesy NOAA/National Weather Service

Currently the radar only scans with horizontal polarization, allowing it to detect clouds and precipitation.  The new upgrades will add vertical polarization to the radar, allowing it to also detect the size, shape and type of precipitation.  For example, rain vs. hail.

For more information, visit:

NWS Indianapolis Weather Forecast Office