Alabama and Climavision Partner to Close Critical Weather Radar Gaps Statewide

Climavision, a weather technology company, is building supplemental weather radar networks across the country

Climavision's high-resolution radars are filling in the gaps between NEXRAD sites in Alabama

The Climavision radar in Pine Hill, AL covers an area in Southwest Alabama that has lacked coverage for decades

The Climavison radar in Moulton fills in a gap in North Alabama

Public-Private Model Demonstrates a Scalable Approach for States to Gain Visibility Into Previously Unobservable Weather Events

LOUISVILLE, KY, UNITED STATES, May 5, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Alabama Emergency Management Agency (AEMA) in partnership with Climavision, the weather technology company whose private radar network and AI-driven forecasting fills visibility gaps across the country, has announced a partnership to integrate gap-filling weather radar data into EMA operations across the state to provide more accuracy and lead time during severe weather events. The partnership will provide AEMA and local emergency managers with visibility into weather conditions in regions that were previously unobservable, and therefore vulnerable to unpredictable weather events.

Working in Alabama since 2021, Climavision operates three of its radars in areas historically considered “radar gaps” – or large swathes of land where lower atmospheric regions aren’t observed at all. Emergency managers across the state will now have access to data from these radars so they can respond to critical weather events in regions they once couldn’t monitor. The initiative reflects a growing approach among states seeking to modernize situational awareness through public private collaboration without assuming the cost or complexity of owning and operating radar infrastructure.

The National Weather Service (NWS) relies on its nationwide NEXRAD radar network to provide the backbone of U.S. weather forecasting and situational awareness. While NEXRAD delivers critical upper-level coverage, many regions, including parts of Alabama, remain underserved at lower altitudes where severe weather impacts communities most directly. Approximately 130 million U.S. citizens live in visibility gaps where weather conditions close to the ground aren't measured by existing NEXRAD radars. State and local emergency managers in many areas have historically been forced to rely on distant radar coverage, limiting their ability to assess rapidly evolving threats in their own jurisdictions. In the last three years, Climavision has worked collaboratively with NWS to provide data that addresses these gaps. Like Alabama, many states are looking to fill them through public-private partnerships that provide a cost-effective, efficient way to shorten radar installation timelines and cover burdensome costs, such as ongoing infrastructure maintenance.

In Alabama specifically, Climavision’s radars fill gaps across one of America’s most widely recognized observational gaps in the southwest portion of the state, an area particularly vulnerable to severe weather but historically lacking hyper local radar coverage Previously, access to radar data was limited to the local counties where the systems were deployed. Through this statewide integration, those insights are now available to AEMA, informing the allocation of public safety resources, operational coordination, and communication with vulnerable populations across Alabama.

“Our responsibility is to ensure every community in Alabama—urban and rural—has access to the same level of situational awareness when severe weather threatens,” said Jeff Smitherman, Director of the Alabama Emergency Management Agency. “Closing coverage gaps takes partnership across federal, state, county, and private-sector teams, and this approach allows us to do that in a way that is both collaborative and fiscally responsible.”

Climavision operates under a service based model that addresses the limitations of ad hoc gap filling efforts. The company owns, operates, and maintains its radar systems, working with local and state partners to strategically site installations. Supplemental radar observations are integrated into existing forecasting and emergency management workflows, allowing agencies to enhance situational awareness.

“Weather planning and response requires tight communication and coordination with federal, state, and local partners,” said Tara Leigh Goode, Climavision’s Head of Radar Operations and Strategic Partnerships. “This exciting partnership with AEMA demonstrates how we can all work together to accelerate innovation and solutions in the interest of a safer, more resilient nation. We’re grateful to AEMA for their leadership in disaster preparedness and proud to partner with them.”

“The first phase of this effort focused on deploying the physical infrastructure needed to observe weather where it previously couldn’t be seen,” said Chris Goode, Co Founder and CEO of Climavision. “This next phase — making that data accessible statewide — shows how states can responsibly modernize their weather readiness. Alabama’s approach demonstrates what’s possible when state leadership, local partners, and federal systems work together, and we expect this model to become increasingly relevant as weather risks continue to intensify.”

With an optimal range of 60 miles and up to 10x the resolution of standard NEXRAD S-band radars, Climavision radar systems provide high-fidelity observations critical for severe weather monitoring. In addition to Alabama, Climavision’s network fills visibility gaps in 13 other states: Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Kansas, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Texas. The company will expand to Florida this year. All radar systems are safe and licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Members of the media can download video and stills of the radars, as well as maps showing the coverage areas in our media it. Attribute all assets to Climavision.

About AEMA

The Alabama Emergency Management Agency (AEMA) serves as the state’s lead agency for emergency preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation. Working in coordination with local, state, and federal partners, AEMA supports emergency management operations across Alabama’s 67 counties, safeguarding more than 5 million residents and helping protect the state’s communities and critical infrastructure before, during, and after disasters.

About Climavision

Climavision brings together the power of a proprietary, high resolution supplemental weather radar network with its cutting-edge Horizon AI forecasting technology suite to close significant weather observation gaps and drastically improve forecast speed and accuracy. Climavision’s revolutionary approach to climate technology is poised to help reduce the economic risks of volatile weather on companies, governments, and communities alike. Climavision is backed by The Rise Fund, the world’s largest global impact platform committed to achieving measurable, positive social and environmental outcomes alongside competitive financial returns. The company is headquartered in Louisville, KY, with research and development in Raleigh, NC, AI forecasting operations in Ft. Collins, CO, and a fleet maintenance office in the panhandle of Florida. To learn more, visit www.Climavision.com.

Bill Shory
Fleur de Lis Communications
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