Radar Project
Closing the Radar Gap
THE HAYS COMMUNITY RADAR PROJECT PROTECTS NORTHWEST KANSAS
On the high plains of Western Kansas, a vital project is underway to secure a local, gap-filling weather radar system. Serving Hays and the surrounding rural counties of Ellis, Rooks, Rush, Russell, and Trego, this project is more than just technology—it is a critical public safety initiative. Our mission? To deliver faster, more accurate local weather data to the National Weather Service, emergency managers, and local news media before severe weather strikes.
Media Interviews
See the project in the headlines! Local news outlets are covering our mission to secure a safer Western Kansas. Read the full feature stories and watch the video interviews on KSN News and the Hays Post to see why meteorologists and emergency managers are calling this a critical upgrade for community safety.
KSN Interview:
HaysPost Interview:
https://hayspost.com/posts/bb3b726b-ddce-4560-b996-32014bf14ced
ANCHORED IN SAFETY
THE RADAR GAP PROBLEM:
The National Weather Service operates 160 Doppler radars nationwide. Because these sites are far apart, limited visibility near the ground creates dangerous "radar gaps"—the exact zone where severe weather begins.
LOCATION IS CRITICAL:
Situated between distant radar sites in Wichita, Dodge City, Goodland, and Hastings, Nebraska, the Hays region represents the only major, unprotected radar gap in the entire state of Kansas.
EARTH'S CURVATURE:
Radar beams travel in straight lines. By the time a beam from Dodge City (85 miles away) reaches Hays, it is scanning more than 6,000 feet above ground level, overshooting low-level threats entirely.
LOCAL ACTION NEEDED:
With the National Weather Service reporting no federal plans or funding to expand or replace the radar network until at least 2035, local community investment is the only practical solution to protect our families.
The Community Radar Difference
Why Low-Level Coverage Matters: The gap in low-level visibility makes it incredibly difficult to detect early atmospheric changes. A dedicated local radar provides critical data to catch tornado development, damaging straight-line winds, small hail, rapid winter precipitation changes, and localized heavy rainfall before it causes flash flooding.
Protecting Our Population Hub: Decades of historical NOAA storm data show that Hays and the surrounding region face a high probability of severe storms. As the largest population center in northwest Kansas, our community requires robust, low-altitude weather detection to support effective emergency response and warning systems.
A Threshold of Safety in Downtown Hays: Sponsored by STEM-Harvest, this community initiative bridges the gap between raw data and public safety. By investing in a local radar, we are implementing a forward-thinking solution that transforms how our region prepares for, tracks, and survives turbulent Kansas weather.
Our Partners & Mission
Powered by Generosity:
The proposed radar system will cost approximately $190,000. Thanks to local foundations, businesses, and individual donors, the project has already secured $109,000 in support to bring this lifesaver to reality.
A Story of Matching Funds:
Double your impact! All donations made to the Hays Community Radar Project will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Schmidt Foundation, up to $50,000. Your gift is fully tax-deductible through STEM-Harvest, an IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Support the Project:
Help protect Hays and our neighboring counties. Visit STEM-Harvest online or read our feature interviews on KSN News and the Hays Post, and make your contribution to a safer Western Kansas today.
Protecting our Communities
This initiative is driven by one core goal: to prevent the kind of catastrophic impact seen in these images, representing historical tornado events in Hoisington and Greensburg, Kansas.
"Early detection is everything. A gap-filling radar isn't just about data; it's about buying precious minutes to get children, families, and communities to safety before the storm arrives." How a Radar Gap is a Threat
The National Weather Service uses a powerful network (WSR-88D). However, due to curvature of the Earth and the distance of major radar sites from Hays (Dodge City, Goodland, Hastings), there is a significant "radar gap" between 0 and 6,000 feet above the ground.
This is critical because the lowest levels of the atmosphere are where severe weather—especially tornado genesis—often begins. By the time a radar signal from 85 miles away sees a hook echo, the low-level tornado may already be on the ground. This creates a critical lack of low-altitude coverage where early detection is most needed.
A dedicated local radar, filling the gap from the ground up, gives meteorologists the immediate data required to issue faster, more precise, and more confident warnings. In a tornado event, every extra second of lead time can mean the difference between tragedy and survival. Improved local radar coverage doesn't just track the weather; it saves lives.
The Science of the Radar Gap
How Distance and Physics Blind Our Current System
While the National Weather Service operates a powerful national radar network (WSR-88D), the simple physics of distance and the Earth's curvature leave Hays completely in the dark during critical low-level weather events.
Why a Local X-Band Radar Changes Everything:
The provided map, published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), illustrates areas across the country where radar coverage is restricted to below 3,000, 6,000, and 10,000 feet. Red circles denote significant population centers. Hays and Ellis County, Kansas, stand as the most populous regions in northwestern Kansas and are situated within an area characterized by limited radar coverage below 6,000 feet.
Severe weather events, including tornadoes, hail, and heavy flash flooding, predominantly form and develop below 6,000 feet. A local, compact Doppler system fills this exact gap from the ground up. Furthermore, while the aging national network takes about eight minutes to complete a single full scan, modern compact systems refresh their data roughly once per minute. That means local emergency managers get weather updates eight times faster, providing the crucial minutes needed to save lives.
The Three Invisible Blind Spots Facing Hays
The Curvature Problem:
The closest National Weather Service radar is in Dodge City, 85 miles away. Because the Earth curves beneath the straight-traveling radar signal, the absolute lowest edge of the Dodge City beam is already 6,000 to 7,500 feet above the ground by the time it passes over Hays.
The Atmosphere Problem:
On days with extreme temperature and humidity shifts—very common during severe winter weather—atmospheric refraction bends the beam even higher, sometimes pushing it over 10,000 feet above the ground. The radar literally shoots right over the top of shallow winter storm clouds, showing a "clear sky" on phone apps while snow or ice is actively falling on drivers along Interstate 70.
The Resolution Problem:
Radar beams spread out like a flashlight, widening by roughly 1,000 feet for every 10 miles traveled. At 85 miles out, the beam over Hays is more than 1.5 miles wide. Dangerous, localized storm features like rotating wall clouds are often simply too small for a beam that massive to see or resolve.
Engineering the Solution
A Network of Support & Advanced Technology
To bridge the gap and protect our families, local leaders have identified a forward-thinking technological solution: the Furuno Model WR110 Compact X-Band Doppler Weather Radar. This represents a massive evolutionary leap beyond the aging national framework. While standard systems take roughly eight minutes to refresh volume scans, this compact powerhouse completes a full 360 scan approximately once per minute, delivering rapid-fire updates exactly when seconds matter most.
Technical Specifications: Furuno Model WR110
High-Frequency Refresh Rate: Traditional WSR-88D systems leave meteorologists waiting up to eight minutes for a complete update
Micro-Weather Resolution: Instead of relying on a beam that has widened out to a massive 1.5 miles wide by the time it reaches Ellis County, a local radar keeps the beam highly focused and compact, resolving tight, dangerous wall clouds that big-grid systems miss entirely
Acceptance by the NWS: The National Weather Service office in Dodge City has formally stated that they welcome and will continuously review supplemental weather radar data provided by local and commercial sources to help enhance the issuance of local storm warnings.
BROAD CONSTITUENT BACKING
"AN INVESTMENT IN PUBLIC SAFETY"
"Kansas is no stranger to severe weather... This effort represents an important investment in the safety and resilience of Hays and the surrounding communities. Accurate, timely warnings are critical, and this project will strengthen our capacity to protect lives and property." > — U.S. Senator Jerry Moran
THE RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE CHALLENGE
Senator Moran highlights that at an 85-mile distance, standard federal radar beams spread to over 1.5 miles wide, completely overshooting smaller, rapidly developing rotating systems near the ground. Because no near-term federal plans exist to resolve these national radar gaps, local leadership is the only path forward.
National Attention
This project has caught national attention and earned the formal endorsement of federal leadership. U.S. Senator Jerry Moran, serving on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, has formally thrown his legislative weight behind this initiative, highlighting how vital it is for the safety of travelers along the Interstate 70 corridor and throughout Western Kansas.