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Introduced on February 7, 2025 by Rick Crawford
This bill aims to modernize the national weather radar network (NEXRAD) so forecasts and storm warnings are more accurate and reach more places. It directs NOAA and the National Weather Service to create a plan to replace today’s NEXRAD system and finish the replacement by September 30, 2040. NEXRAD is the network of weather radars used to spot rain, snow, and wind across the country.
The plan must build and test a new digital “phased array” radar, set up a test site to try out commercial radars, and help communities use smaller “gap‑filling” radars in places where hills or mountains block signals. It also calls for input from meteorologists, emergency managers, and public safety officials. The National Weather Service may contract with third parties to fill radar gaps—and can consider weather camera systems—to better detect heavy rain and severe weather over a wider area.