By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
WASHINGTON — The National Weather Service reported a nationwide radar website outage Friday, Nov. 13, less than an hour after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a nationwide ground stop affecting departing flights at U.S. airports.
The National Weather Service posted an outage notice on its website acknowledging problems with its radar service.
“We are aware of a National Radar Outage on radar.weather.gov. We appreciate your patience as we investigate this matter. Thank you,” the notice stated.
The notice did not specify when the outage began, which radar products were affected or whether weather radar equipment itself had stopped functioning. The timing of the notice’s original publication also could not be independently established.
The reported disruption coincided with a nationwide aviation emergency that began shortly before 4 p.m. Eastern time Friday.
According to Reuters, the FAA ordered all departing aircraft to remain on the ground after communications problems affected air traffic control operations.
The agency cited “extraordinary circumstances” and safety concerns in its nationwide directive. International arrivals were to be handled individually, while aircraft already airborne could continue toward their destinations under air traffic control instructions.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that the FAA was investigating communications failures affecting its air traffic control infrastructure.
The problems involved the nation’s 22 Air Route Traffic Control Centers, which coordinate aircraft movements between airports across the United States.
The Associated Press reported that the communications problems prompted one of the most extensive interruptions to American aviation since the nationwide departure suspension in January 2023.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said federal officials had found no evidence that the aviation disruption resulted from a cyberattack. Authorities described the problem as a telecommunications outage while investigators continued examining its cause.
The National Weather Service operates a network of weather radar installations used to monitor precipitation, thunderstorms and other atmospheric conditions. Its public radar website provides weather observations and forecasts used by emergency managers, aviation operators and the public.
Weather radar systems are distinct from the air traffic control communications systems involved in the FAA’s ground stop.
The existence of both reported disruptions does not establish that they were connected.
The National Weather Service had not publicly identified a cause for the radar website problem or confirmed that the underlying radar equipment was affected.
The FAA also had not announced a definitive cause for its nationwide communications failure.
Both incidents occurred as federal agencies continued efforts to modernize aging technology infrastructure. Congress approved $12.5 billion in 2025 for air traffic control modernization, including upgrades to communications equipment and other systems.
The FAA and Transportation Department have requested additional federal funding to complete the improvements.
As of Friday afternoon, federal officials were investigating the aviation communications failure, while the National Weather Service’s radar outage notice remained publicly accessible. Authorities had not confirmed any connection between the two incidents.
Original article
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