NEW BRUANFELS, Texas -- The number one tool meteorologists use for tracking severe storms, tornadoes, flash flooding and the occasional winter storms, the local Doppler radar, is scheduled for a major overhaul starting Monday. 

The National Weather Service said the radar unit in New Braunfels will be taken off-line for at least three, possibly four days.

It's the biggest upgrade of its kind since the technology was developed in 1988.

According to our forecast, it looks like good timing as the weekend rain should be well out of the area before Monday.  That said, should any surpise weather event pop up, the area is covered by three other radar units:  one in Granger (Williamson Co.), one in Del Rio near the border, and one in San Angelo.

"A crew will install a new signal processor which replaces obsolete technology, improves processing speed and data quality, provides added functionality, and supports IT security," according to NOAA.

The project involves all 159 radar sites across the country at a cost of $150 million, funded by a multi-agency effort including contributions from NOAA, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Transportation.

The goal?  Extend the life of the current radar units well into the 2030s.

In the above video, Chief Meteorologist Burton Fitzsimmons speaks with NOAA meteorologist and science officer Jon Zietler at the New Braunfels forecast office.

For more, check out this extended interview.

View inside the NOAA weather radar in New Braunfels