Dane County Cancels February Outdoor Warning Siren Test

February 03, 2026
Andrew Beckett
Emergency Management

DANE COUNTY – Dane County is canceling the monthly test of the outdoor warning siren system, which had been scheduled for noon on February 4. The decision was made due to concerns that recent weather conditions could increase the risk of damaging siren components.

Dane County Emergency Management (DCEM) maintains a network of 144 outdoor warning sirens, which are designed to alert residents when the National Weather Service issues warnings for tornadoes or thunderstorms that could produce tornado-like conditions.

While the sirens are designed to be able to operate in cold weather conditions, there are concerns that recent subzero temperatures and precipitation could have caused ice to build up on the mechanisms used to rotate the siren heads. If this has occurred, it could unnecessarily damage the sirens during testing.

Sirens are manually tested year-round at noon on the first Wednesday of every month, unless there is a risk of severe weather on that date or concerns about current weather conditions. Canceled tests are not rescheduled. The next scheduled test of the system will be at noon on March 4, 2026.

More information on Dane County’s outdoor warning sirens is available on the DCEM website. You can also sign up to receive emergency alerts from Dane County during severe weather and other hazardous situations.