Linn County weather radios back on the air

CEDAR RAPIDS — An outage of the NOAA weather radio that serves Linn County has been resolved and the radios are back on the air.

The radios have been off the air since April 13, but the transmitter began having intermittent problems in March. Replacement parts — including cables and a new antenna — were ordered, but their arrival was delayed.

Initially, the repairs were estimated to be complete in May.

This week, the parts were delivered. Work to replace cables and antenna on the tower near Kirkwood Community College in southwest Cedar Rapids began Wednesday and was completed Thursday.

Part of the motivation to fix the transmitter this week is the possibility of severe weather this weekend. According to a Friday morning report from the NWS Quad Cities bureau, storms are likely through the weekend, although details are unclear.

“In particular, we are keeping an eye on later Saturday into Sunday, when heavy rainfall for at least part of the area is expected, and a severe risk too,” the report states. Hail and strong winds are the main threats.

Periodic rounds of showers and storms continue Saturday and Sunday, but confidence is lower on timing and severity since it will depend on how things evolve Friday. Saturday is actually looking less active during the daylight hours, with only a few showers/storms at that time. pic.twitter.com/0GWpuoxdRF

— NWS Quad Cities (@NWSQuadCities) April 25, 2024

Rainfall totals are uncertain, but there’s a 60 percent chance that portions of Eastern Iowa could see more than 2 inches of rain Friday through Sunday.

“Many area rivers will be on the rise by early next week,” according to the NWS.

In addition to NOAA weather radios, weather alerts can be received through TV and radio broadcasts, outdoor sirens, internet sites, weather apps and Alert Iowa, an online system that sends text, email or call alerts for severe weather and other emergencies.