The City of Rice Lake has five outdoor weather warning sirens:  one at the Barron County Fairgrounds; one on the water tower on Augusta Street; one in Camelot Acres; one on Colan Boulevard; and one on Macauley Avenue.  The sirens are all linked together; thus, all five sirens sound at the same time.

The sirens are activated primarily in two types of instances:  monthly testing (April through September), and when a severe weather warning has been issued by the National Weather Service for Barron County with Rice Lake listed in the path of the storm.

Outdoor Warning System

The Rice Lake weather warning sirens are an outdoor warning system intended to alert people “outdoors” to severe weather conditions.  The sirens are not intended to awaken people from their sleep.  A weather alert radio can be a useful tool for that purpose.  Families can purchase a weather alert radio as an additional resource for emergency preparedness.

The sounding of outdoor sirens is your cue to listen to your local radio and/or television for information concerning severe weather in the area.  You must make an informed decision on your safety and the safety of your family and take immediate action.  DO NOT CALL 911 to ask for weather information.  Report dangerous weather conditions to the Rice Lake Police Department.