Eye on Austin-San Antonio weather to go blind next week for repairs

A New Braunfels radar that collects weather data for Central Texas will be shut down temporarily while undergoing major repairs.

The National Weather Service radar will be down for about two weeks starting Monday while technicians refurbish and replace the pedestal, which is one of the most critical components of the radar, according to meteorologist Keith White.

“They will take off the dome completely to replace the pedestal,” White said. “The pedestal is what the antenna sits on and helps control the motion of the radar, which can rotate 360 degrees.”

Individuals who use local radar apps or follow weather patterns using the Austin/San Antonio National Weather Service website will have to use other nearby radars during the time of the repairs.

The Austin/San Antonio National Weather Service website will say the radar is unavailable, but will have an option to switch to another radar.

Travis County will rely on data from a radar in Granger in northeast Williamson County and a radar in Brackettville, near Del Rio in Kinney County, White said.

The National Weather Service does rely on the radar for daily reports, White said, but meteorologists will still be able to pull the necessary data from the neighboring radars.

The New Braunfels’ pedestal refurbishment is the third major upgrade of a national government project to keep radars across the country functioning properly. The National Weather Service, U.S. Air Force and the Federal Aviation Administration are investing $135 million in the eight-year program.

The radar tracks weather patterns like rain or hail throughout Central Texas by sending radio waves in all directions as it spins, according to White.

When those waves encounter objects in the atmosphere that are part of weather phenomena, like hail or rain, the waves are reflected and send data back to the radar so meteorologists can track the weather event and create a forecast.

White said the radar was only designed to last for 25 years but it has exceeded its life span. The upgrades will allow the radar to function into the 2030s, according to the National Weather Service.