NEXRAD Radar KDAX status: Active [last data 53 secs ago] as of Sat, 04-Feb-2012 12:19am PST
Message date: Thu, 02-Feb-2012 2:49pm PST
KDAX RADAR MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN EXTENDED UNTIL 01Z 02/03/12.
Message date: Fri, 03-Feb-2012 7:58am PST
KDAX RADAR WILL BE DOWN FOR MAINTENANCE TODAY, 3 FEB 12, STARTING IN APPX 10 MIN
UTES AND SHOULD BE BACK IN SERVICE BEFORE 1700Z TODAY. THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE
AND COOOPERATION.
Message date: Fri, 03-Feb-2012 10:42am PST
KDAX RADAR WILL BE DOWN FOR MAINTENANCE TODAY, 3 FEB 12, STARTING APPX 1930Z AND
SHOULD BE BACK IN SERVICE NLT 2345Z. THANKS FOR YOUR COOPOERATION AND PATIENCE.
Message date: Fri, 03-Feb-2012 8:42am PST
KDAX RADAR IS BACK IN SERVICE.
Message date: Thu, 02-Feb-2012 5:59pm PST
KDAX RADAR MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN COMPLETED FOR THE DAY.
DETECTED
Message date: Thu, 02-Feb-2012 7:18am PST
KDAX RADAR WILL BE DOWN FOR MAINTENANCE TODAY, 2 FEB 12, STARTING APPX 1630Z AND
SHOULD BE BACK IN SERVICE NLT 2330Z. THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND COOPERATION.
Message date: Fri, 03-Feb-2012 2:26pm PST
KDAX RADAR IS NOW OPERATIONAL AS OF 2226Z. THANK YOU.
DETECTED
About the Map Data - The source for radar echo's/returns are from NOAA and the National Weather Service. The map will under normal weather conditions display the current temperatures. During storms the map will usualy change from temperatures to total rainfall amounts for the day. Rainfall amounts are reset to zero at midnight. The rainfall data and temperatures are taken from near real time data feeds from individual personal weather stations that upload their data in near real time to the Internet.
When temps & rainfall-amounts are first posted to the map the data is typically about 6 to 10 seconds older than real time. Since the map refreshes every 10 minutes, the rainfall and temperature data can be up to 10 minutes old. For the occasional unresponsive weather station the data can be older.
Clear Air Mode - NOAA's U.S. radar stations operate in either 'Clear Air Mode' when there is no precipitation in the area or 'Precipitation Mode' when rain is in the area. Radar is at its most sensitive state of operation when in clear air mode. The antenna rotates at its slowest rate permitting the radar to sample a given volume of the atmosphere longer giving it the ability to detect smaller objects than when in precipitation mode. Much of what you see in clear air mode is airborne dust & particulate matter.
Precipitation Mode - Radar doesn't need to be as sensitive as in clear air mode. This is because rainfall provides plenty of returning signals giving you a much cleaner view of any rainfall in the area without all of the clutter seen in clear air mode.
Storm Tracks - The Storm Track Feature allows you to see what direction or track the storm is currently headed to. This feature shows a white line extending out of a little white square box from the center of a storm cell. The "x"'s along this white line indicate every 15 minutes where the center of the storm is forecast to be, based on its current speed and direction. For an example, the 4th "x" shows where the storm will be in an hour given its current tracking. The longer the white line the faster the storm is moving.
Using Zoom - You can easily zoom in by clicking on the "Zoom Button" and then clicking on the map. With every click the map will zoom in more and more. Once zoomed in you can then "Click and Drag" the map. The "Click and Drag" is only available when zoomed in. This feature allows you to zoom right into your own neighborhood. To reset the map to the original viewing level, simply click on the "Unzoom Button".
Note - Typically you will see area temperatures, current earthquakes, and highway markers etc when there is no rainfall in the area. When there is rainfall occuring in the area the map is usually cleared to only show the radar, highways and city names, along with rain related icons like hail and cloud rotation on the map. This is because we don't want to put up anything extra that will obstruct the view of the radar during any rainfall event.
Live Temps & Rain totals courtesey of 
