National Weather Service Paducah, Kentucky facts for kids
The National Weather Service Paducah is a special office that watches the weather for 58 counties. These counties are in the states of Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri. This office was built in 1984, so it's not as old as some other weather offices.
The team at Paducah creates weather forecasts and issues warnings when bad weather is coming. They also provide special weather information for airplanes. To help them do this, they use cool tools like a WSR-88D (NEXRAD) radar and an Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS). These tools help them predict the weather much better!
NOAA Weather Radio: Your Weather Alert System
The National Weather Service Paducah office helps run 11 special radio stations called NOAA Weather Radio. These stations broadcast important weather and hazard information 24/7. They are like a constant alert system for your area.
These radio stations send out messages about severe weather like tornadoes or floods. They also share other important alerts, like Amber Alerts for missing children. Each station covers specific counties to make sure people in those areas get the right information.
For example, a station like KXI52 in McLeansboro, Illinois broadcasts weather and hazard information for Gallatin, Hamilton, Saline, and White counties in Illinois.
Another station, WXM49 in Marion, Illinois, covers many counties in Southern Illinois, including Alexander and Williamson. It also reaches Ballard County in Kentucky.
There are many other NOAA Weather Radio stations managed by the Paducah office. They include:
- KIG76 in Evansville, Indiana, covering parts of Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky.
- KIH46 in Mayfield, Kentucky, reaching areas in Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, and even Tennessee.
- KXI26 in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, serving Christian, Todd, and Trigg counties in Kentucky.
- KZZ61 in Whitesville, Kentucky, broadcasting to parts of Indiana and Kentucky.
- WXJ91 in Madisonville, Kentucky, covering many counties in Kentucky.
- KXI66 in Piedmont, Missouri, serving several counties in Missouri.
- KXI93 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, reaching counties in Missouri and Illinois.
- WWG48 in Doniphan, Missouri, covering counties like Butler and Ripley in Missouri.
- WXL47 in Bloomfield, Missouri, broadcasting to counties like Dunklin and Stoddard in Missouri.
These stations are a vital part of keeping communities safe and informed about changing weather conditions.
