Since the storms on Friday night, several questions have been asked about our weather warning siren system.

This system is in place to alert Dixon citizens of a tornado warning. When a severe thunderstorm warning is issued by the National Weather Service (NWS), Dixon officers are assigned to weather spotter locations. The 911 Center receives specific information about the warning, to include estimated wind speeds, hail projections, and the time the storm is expected to be in Dixon. That information is shared with the shift. We look at the history of the current storm to determine whether it has produced tornadoes or rotation in other areas.

On Friday at 7:38 p.m., I received a text alert from SaukValley.com about the thunderstorm warning. I checked the weather radar, then contacted the 911 Center and learned the storm was projected to hit Dixon at 8:10 p.m.