[LeArc] Reminder: Skywarn Recognition Day Dec 6th

[Duane Whittingham]

2003 SKYWARN Recognition Day
December 6, 2003   (0000 - 2400 UTC.)

SKYWARN Recognition Day was developed in 1999 by the National Weather
Service and the American Radio Relay League. It celebrates the
contributions that volunteer SKYWARN radio operators make to the
National Weather Service. During the day SKYWARN operators visit NWS
offices and contact other radio operators across the world.

-From the ARRL Web:

NEWINGTON, CT, Nov 6, 2003--The fifth annual SKYWARN Recognition Day
will take place Saturday, December 6, 2003, 0000 UTC to 2400 UTC.
During the special event, Amateur Radio operators visit National
Weather Service (NWS) offices and contact other operators around the
world. The purpose of the event is twofold: to recognize Amateur
Radio operators for the vital public service they perform during
times of severe weather and to strengthen the bond between radio
amateurs and their local NWS office. The event is cosponsored by the
American Radio Relay League and the National Weather Service.

Traditionally, hams have assisted the National Weather Service during
times of severe weather by providing real-time reports of severe
events and storm evolution. "You simply can't put a price tag on it,"
said Scott Mentzer, N0QE, organizer of the event and Meteorologist-In-
Charge at the NWS office in Goodland, Kansas. "The assistance that
radio amateurs provide to the NWS throughout the year is invaluable."

This year, radio amateurs once again proved their worth. On May 4,
after tornadoes knocked out all communications in Stockton, Missouri,
portable ham radio stations were set up and staffed by volunteers,
with licensed NWS employees forwarding specific forecasts to hams at
the Stockton Emergency Operations Center (EOC). In August, an Amateur
Radio storm spotter in Iowa tracked a tornado until it lifted,
providing the local NWS office in the Quad Cities with "ground
truth." This resulted in more specific information and earlier
warnings being disseminated to the public.

The story doesn't stop there. Deployed during a winter storm last
March, hams in Fairbanks, Alaska reported pinpoint locations of
freezing rain and snow. The information was relayed on 2 meters,
which allowed the local NWS office to sharply define the warning area
and provide detailed statements of ice accumulation. In Wisconsin, a
volunteer operator reported to the NWS office at early one spring
morning and solicited snowfall reports from amateurs across the
region, allowing the NWS to produce a detailed snow graphic and make
a public statement summarizing the storm. Amateur Radio success
stories such as these occur every year, all across the country.

In 2002, participants logged nearly 23,000 QSOs during the 24 hour
event. Last year nearly 70 countries were contacted.


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Duane Whittingham (N9SSN) - Producer
Tom and Darryl Radio Shows & Saturday Morning Confusion
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