WCAX First Alert: Heavy Snow & Freezing Rain Hit Vermont—Latest Closures, Road Impacts, and Safety Tips

WCAX viewers across Vermont, northern New York and New Hampshire woke up this week asking the same question: “Why can’t I see Channel 3?” The answer links two fast-moving stories—the end of a Dish Network signal glitch and the station’s quiet leap to NextGen TV—both driving the current spike in searches for “WCAX.” WHY WCAX IS TRENDING NOW • Dish Network customers nationwide reported black screens on several Gray Television outlets Sunday morning, including WCAX’s main channel and sub-channels. • At the same time, WCAX’s parent company is promoting its new ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV) broadcast, promising 4K video, movie-theater audio and interactive emergency alerts. The overlap left many cord-cutters and satellite households scrambling for answers—and fueling Google’s trending charts. DISH NETWORK OUTAGE: WHAT HAPPENED Dish engineers traced the issue to an uplink authentication failure that prevented WCAX’s MPEG-4 feed from reaching orbital slot 110°. Because the problem sat on Dish’s side of the chain, over-the-air and cable viewers were unaffected. Dish says most receivers have already re-acquired the Burlington signal after a forced guide download, but some legacy set-tops still need a hard reset. HOW TO RESTORE WCAX IF YOU’RE STILL DARK 1. Unplug your Dish Hopper/Wally for 30 seconds, then reconnect power. 2. After boot-up, press Menu → Settings → Diagnostics → “Reset Receiver.” 3. If signal 3-01 is still missing, run Menu → Settings → System Info → “Check Switch.” Allow the test to finish and save. 4. As a last resort, call Dish at 1-800-333-DISH and reference trouble code 11-11-813. NEXTGEN TV: WHY WCAX IS UPGRADING WCAX’s new transmitter pushes both the legacy ATSC 1.0 and the cutting-edge ATSC 3.0 bitstreams. Upgrading now lets Channel 3: • broadcast native 2160p HDR sports, perfect for UVM hockey and future Olympics coverage. • target weather alerts to specific towns, an advantage in Vermont’s mountain micro-climates. • add broadband “layered” content—think live ski-cam pop-ups from Stowe or real-time road closures on Route 89. WHAT YOU NEED TO WATCH NEXTGEN TV • An antenna (indoor or rooftop) aimed at Mount Mansfield or the Monkton tower. • A 2020-or-newer TV with an ATSC 3.0 tuner, or an external upgrade box ($79–$149). • Internet is optional but unlocks interactive features. NO NEW TV? YOU’RE STILL COVERED WCAX pledges to simulcast its primary 1080i channel in ATSC 1.0 “for at least five years,” so your current set will keep working. Cable and satellite will also carry a down-converted HD feed. TIPS TO KEEP WCAX IN YOUR LINEUP • Rescan your TV whenever towers change power levels (WCAX suggests the first Monday of every month). • Bookmark the WCAX streaming site for live newscasts during outages. • Follow @WCAX on X for real-time engineering alerts. BOTTOM LINE The Dish hiccup was temporary, but WCAX’s long-term move to NextGen TV is permanent—and it’s why search traffic for “WCAX” is surging today. Fix your receiver, rescan your antenna, and you’ll be set to enjoy Channel 3’s sharper picture, louder Thunder Road engines and faster storm warnings all winter long.