[BARC-List] Fw: Severe Weather/Amateur Radio Field Day Coordination Message #1

[Arthur Ashley N1NHZ]

--- On Thu, 6/25/09, SkyWarn Announcement List <SkyWarn-list at oak.powersrvcs.net> wrote:

> From: SkyWarn Announcement List <SkyWarn-list at oak.powersrvcs.net>
> Subject: Severe Weather/Amateur Radio Field Day Coordination Message #1
> To: Skywarn-list at oak.powersrvcs.net
> Date: Thursday, June 25, 2009, 9:02 AM
> Hello to all..
> 
> ..The following is the first in a series of messages on
> Amateur Radio Field Day Weekend. Amateur Radio Field Day
> Weekend is an annual event where Ham Operators across the
> United States setup at Emergency Operations Centers, field
> locations, home locations etc. to operate and test their
> equipment and skills and make as many radio contacts as
> possible during the weekend. Many locations can be visited
> by the public and Amateur Radio Field Day can be a form of
> outreach to Ham and non-Ham Operators. It is both a
> fun/preparatory event for Ham Radio Operators for Emergency
> Communications scenarios..
> ..As have been done over the past 10 years, this will be
> the first in a series of Severe Weather/Amateur Radio Field
> Day Coordination Messages to pass instructions to Amateur
> Radio Field Day sites on what to do if threatening weather
> approaches and to have Field Day sites guard their SKYWARN
> repeaters as required if threatening weather approaches..
> ..Field Day Weekend is expected to have better weather than
> what we have seen in the past several days, however, there
> will be the threat of Severe Thunderstorms with Damaging
> winds and large hail the primary threats across much of
> Southern New England Friday as SPC and NWS Taunton are in
> agreement on a Slight Risk for Severe Thunderstorms on
> Friday. There are additional risks for thunderstorms over
> the weekend. The threat of those thunderstorms over the
> weekend is uncertain and it is noted that overall the
> weather will be drier this weekend than the past 4 days,
> however, thunderstorms even if non-severe can contain
> dangerous lightning and that is a threat to any outdoor
> Amateur Radio Field Day sites in the region..
> ..This Week is also Lightning Awareness Week and safety
> information on lightning gets propagated during this period
> and has coincidentally coincided with Amateur Radio Field
> Day weekend and that information is included in this
> coordination message..
> ..SKYWARN Activation with Ops at NWS Taunton is likely on
> Friday. SKYWARN monitoring for even non-severe thunderstorms
> will be done over the weekend to protect Amateur Radio Field
> Day sites as best as possible..
> 
> There are a large number of Amateur Radio Field Day sites
> across the NWS Taunton County Warning Area and adjacent NWS
> County Warning Areas. Here are some links to information on
> these Amateur Radio Field Day Sites from across the region:
> 
> Amateur Radio Field Day National Announcement: http://www.arrl.org/contests/announcements/fd/
> Amateur Radio Field Day National Locator: http://www.arrl.org/contests/announcements/fd/locator.php
> Eastern Massachusetts Field Day Home Page: http://fd.ema.arrl.org/
> Connecticut Section Field Day Information: http://ct.arrl.org/
> New Hampshire Field Day Home Page: http://www.arrl-nh.org/fd2009.html
> Western Massachusetts Field Day Information: http://wma.arrl.org/announce.php?id=163
> Rhode Island Field Day Information: http://www.arrl.org/sections/RI.html
> 
> If there is additional Amateur Radio Field Day information
> that you would like to appear in these coordination
> messages, please contact me and I will add it to this
> section of the Amateur Radio Field Day Coordination
> Message.
> 
> On Friday, the dreary cool weather will abate completely
> and lead to warmer conditions. A Cold Front/trough will
> approach Southern New England and this will be the
> triggering mechanism for showers and thunderstorms. Some
> thunderstorms will have the potential to become severe with
> damaging winds and large hail the primary threats and all
> thunderstorms have the threat of lightning. The threat
> timeframe will be in the mid-late afternoon and early
> evening hours. Key items that will affect the severe
> potential is the timing of the trough/cold front into the
> region and the amount of sunshine that will lead to heating
> and destablization along and ahead of the front. At the time
> of this coordination message, SPC has placed the region in a
> Slight Risk for Severe Thunderstorms and NWS Taunton is in
> agreement with this assessment. Further details on the
> Friday potential for severe weather will be posted in the
> Thursday Evening coordination message. Amateur Radio Field
> Day sites setting up on Friday should use caution and keep
> an eye to the sky and monitor their local SKYWARN Repeater,
> NOAA Weather Radio or weather information via Internet and
> media resources to guard against safety issues if
> thunderstorms, even if they are non-severe, occur in the
> region due to the potential lightning risk on radio
> equipment and antennas. Below is the NWS Taunton Hazardous
> Weather Outlook and SPC Day-2 Convective Outlook:
> 
> NWS Taunton Hazardous Weather Outlook: http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.flus41.KBOX.html
> SPC Day-1 Convective Outlook: http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/day2otlk.html
> 
> SKYWARN Activation with Ops at NWS Taunton is likely on
> Friday. SKYWARN monitoring for non-severe thunderstorms and
> their lightning risk will be done throughout the weekend to
> protect Amateur Radio Field Day sites.
> 
> For the weekend, there will be the potential for isolated
> to scattered showers and thunderstorms on Saturday with
> lesser chances for this activity on Sunday. Details on how
> the weekend will evolve are still not certain. As stated
> previously, the weekend is not expected to be a washout and
> conditions away from the immediate coastal areas should be
> better than the past 4 days or so with warmer and more
> summer like conditions but there will be the potential for
> an isolated to scattered shower or thunderstorm activity.
> Future coordination messages will better define the activity
> for this weekend.
> 
> Remember that non-severe thunderstorms can pose a threat to
> Amateur Radio Field Day sites due to the threat of
> lightning. Please keep this in mind if you have an outdoor
> Field Day site. This week is Lightning Awareness Week and
> the National Weather Service in Taunton has posted
> information on Lightning Safety Awareness Week. See links
> below for this information:
> 
> NWS Taunton Latest Lightning Safety Awareness Week
> Statement: http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.nous41.KBOX.html
> NWS Taunton Wednesday 6/24/09 Lightning Safety Awareness
> Week Statement: http://kamala.cod.edu/offs/KBOX/0906241320.nous41.html
> NWS Taunton Tuesday 6/23/09 Lightning Safety Awareness Week
> Statement: http://kamala.cod.edu/offs/KBOX/0906231724.nous41.html
> NWS Taunton Monday 6/22/09 Lightning Safety Awareness Week
> Statement: http://kamala.cod.edu/offs/KBOX/0906221445.nous41.html
> NWS Lightning Safety Awareness Home Page: http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/
> 
> Field Day sites are encouraged to bring a NOAA All-Hazards
> Weather Radio and a dedicated Ham Radio that can monitor
> their local SKYWARN Frequency for their area or if they have
> mobile Internet capability, that is also a way to monitor
> for weather information if thunderstorms, even that are
> non-severe, approach your area. Please see the link below
> for the latest SKYWARN Frequency information for the
> region:
> http://www.wx1box.org/node/37
> 
> The next coordination message will be posted by 1130 PM
> this evening.
> 
> Respectfully Submitted,
> 
> Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
> ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
> Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
> Pager #: (508) 354-3142
> Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
> Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
> Work Phone #: 1-800-445-2588 Ext.: 72929 (8 AM-5 PM)
> Email Address: rmacedo at rcn.com
> http://ares.ema.arrl.org
> http://www.wx1box.org
> 
> 
> 

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