From: SkyWarn Announcement List <SkyWarn-list@oak.powersrvcs.net>
To: Skywarn-list@oak.powersrvcs.net <Skywarn-list@oak.powersrvcs.net>
Sent: Thu Jun 25 09:02:13 2009
Subject: Severe Weather/Amateur Radio Field Day Coordination Message #1
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@rcn.com
http://ares.ema.arrl.org
http://www.wx1box.org
Roland Daignault, N1JOY writes on BCRA-Club list:
The 
David Neal, W2DAN writes on BCRA-club list:
The June 18, 2009 issue of MEMA Reports carried a story praising Amateur Radio's efforts associated with the recent annual hurricane drill:
The 10th Annual Eastern Massachusetts Field Day Directory contains some of the most comprehensive