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A weather radio outage could cause problems as Dallas County prepares for a round of severe weather overnight Tuesday, May 20, into Wednesday, May 21.

According to a statement, the National Weather Service in Birmingham is required to update to their Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS) system from May 19 through approximately May 21.

“The NWS uses the AWIPS computer system to display and integrate weather and water information, and to send life-saving information, such as weather and water warnings, to the public.

“During the time of the update, forecast operations will be conducted in conjunction with the service back-up office in Peachtree City, Georgia, to minimize any potential interruption to services. No impacts to our core services of forecast products and weather watches, warnings and advisories are expected during this period.

“However, all NOAA Weather Radio transmitters maintained by NWS Birmingham will be off air through the time of the install. This includes the following transmitters: Winfield, Oneonta, Birmingham, Anniston, Tuscaloosa, Demopolis, Selma, Montgomery, Auburn and Texasville.

“The forecast office in Birmingham will remain open and staffed throughout this period for public and partner phone calls and additional functions that can be completed without AWIPS.”

The Storm Prediction Center has placed the area in marginal to slight risk of severe weather. The main threats are strong winds, hail and a small risk of a tornado.

The weather radio outage will occur during the potential for severe weather. NWS recommends getting updates through multiple sources. Also, they recommend turning on weather alerts on your iPhone or Android devices.

Also, some weather apps, especially those from local meteorologists, will also send alerts.