[Paham] SKYWARN Recognition Day

[WORKSNTV@aol.com]

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. To learn more, check out the
NOAA Web site. -- Thanks to David Floyd, N5DBZ, Warning Coordination
Meteorologist, NWS Goodland, Kansas