The Radar Gap Elimination Act of 2025 strengthens the nation’s weather forecasting infrastructure by establishing the Radar Next Program to replace the aging NEXRAD system with advanced Phase Array Radar (PAR) technology. The National Weather Service would develop a national deployment strategy for new installations, prioritizing high-population areas located over 75 miles away from existing NEXRAD stations. This upgrade would substantially improve weather forecasting and early warning capabilities for severe weather events such flash floods and tornadoes, particularly benefiting communities currently underserved by radar coverage.

WHY WE LIKE IT

This bill mandates the implementation of key recommendations from NOAA’s 2023 Science Advisory Board to ensure a more modern, resilient, and effective national radar network. This is critical for disaster preparedness and community resilience, and would effectively address longstanding radar gaps that have led to severely delayed warnings and disastrous impacts on a wide range of communities.