Temporary outage of NOAA weather radios in Central Alabama
Central Alabama is facing a serious weather challenge this week, not just because of the forecast but also due to a temporary disruption in one of its most trusted emergency alert systems.
From Monday morning through Wednesday, the National Weather Service (NWS) in Birmingham is undergoing a scheduled software upgrade to its Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS) — a critical platform that meteorologists use to monitor and issue forecasts and warnings. During this process, all NOAA Weather Radio transmitters managed by the Birmingham office will be offline.
The radios will continue to operate but only broadcast a pre-recorded message, not live updates or warnings. This includes key transmitters in Winfield, Oneonta, Birmingham, Anniston, Tuscaloosa, Demopolis, Selma, Montgomery, Auburn and Texasville.
Severe weather risk during the outage
Unfortunately, this planned outage coincides with a dangerous weather setup. The Storm Prediction Center has placed Central and Northern Alabama under a Level 3 out of 5 “enhanced risk” for severe storms on Tuesday, May 21.
Meteorologists expect damaging wind gusts, hail, and even the potential for tornadoes from Tuesday afternoon through the overnight hours. Storms are likely to linger well into the night, a particularly dangerous time for severe weather given the risks of people being asleep or unaware.
Despite the radio silence, the core forecasting services will remain intact. The NWS office in Peachtree City, Georgia, will temporarily support Birmingham’s forecasting duties, ensuring that watches, warnings, and advisories still reach the public without delay.
Why it matters more than ever to have backup alerts
The NWS Birmingham office is stressing that now more than ever, Alabamians need multiple ways to receive emergency alerts. While NOAA Weather Radios are a cornerstone of storm preparedness, other alert methods should be ready to go — including smartphone apps, local media, social media alerts, and even communication with weather-aware friends or family members.
This outage underscores the importance of redundancy in severe weather communication, especially when tornadoes or damaging winds could strike overnight.
The upgrade is expected to be completed by Wednesday, just as calmer conditions are forecast to return to the state. Until then, residents across Central Alabama should stay vigilant, keep devices charged, and remain weather-aware throughout this period of heightened risk.
