Eastern Massachusetts ARES Stand-By – Sunday December 29th, 2019 2300 Local Until Further Notice for Late December 2019 Ice Storm Potential

*** EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS ARES PLACED ON STAND-BY FOR ALL AREAS EFFECTIVE 2300 SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29 UNTIL CANCELED DUE TO POTENTIAL IMPACTS FROM FORECAST ICE STORM IN CENTRAL AND WESTERN MA ***
*** ICE STORM WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN WORCESTER / NORTHEERN MIDDLESEX IN CENTRAL MA AS WELL AS WESTERN FRANKLIN/HAMPSHIRE/HAMPDEN COUNTIES AND BERKSHIRE COUNTY IN WESTERN MA UNTIL 7AM TUESDAY ***
*** ICE ACCRETION OF AT LEAST ½ INCH IS EXPECTED IN THE WARNING AREA. SOME AREAS COULD APPROACH ¾ INCH OF ICE ACCRETION ***
*** WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE REMAINDER OF WESTERN/CENTRAL/NORTHEAST MA UNTIL 7AM FOR UP TO ONE INCH OF SNOW AND A GLAZE TO 0.4” OF ICE ACCRETION ***
*** ICE ACCRETION OF ½ INCH OR GREATER HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE SIGNIFICANT TREE AND WIRE DAMAGE AND WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES LASTING FOR 24 HOURS OR MORE. ICE ACCRETION OF ¼ TO ½ INCH HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE ISOLATED INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES. ***
*** SKYWARN OPS AT NWS-NORTON TO COMMENCE AROUND 0530 MONDAY ***

A significant winter storm is taking shape across the northeast with the potential to cause ice accretion greater than ½ inch across portions of the Ice Storm warning area, particularly in higher elevations where there is the highest risk. This would create the potential of significant and possibly prolonged power outages to those areas with the highest accretion. Areas that are under the Winter Weather Advisory have the potential to see anywhere from a glaze to 0.4” of ice accretion which can result in isolated power outages and tree damage. An inch of snow or sleet is also possible in these areas. Please refer to the SKYWARN storm coordination message below for further information on the storm.

SKYWARN activation will take place starting at 0530 Monday to monitor for damage and ice accretion reports. SKYWARN will be running various nets across our section on the assigned SKYWARN repeaters, and the list of SKYWARN repeaters can be found at: http://wx1box.org/southern-new-england-skywarn-frequency-list/

The latest SKYWARN coordination message for this storm (as of 2200, December 29) is at: http://wx1box.org/2019/12/30/storm-coordination-message-4-sunday-evening-12-29-19-through-tuesday-afternoon-12-31-19-wintry-mix-ice-storm-potential/

For the latest bulletins please visit http://wx1box.org/

Due to the potential of prolonged power outages and the possibility of communications support needed for isolated areas, Eastern MA ARES has been placed on stand-by effective 2300 on Sunday and lasting until cancelled. Please notify ARES leadership of availability to deploy for any post storm support. All amateurs during the storm are asked to shelter in place and monitor their local SKYWARN repeaters to help relay damage; infrastructure issues; ice accretion; change over between freezing rain/sleet/snow; and any other pertinent information. ARES members are advised to continue to maintain readiness at home and check your emergency power and antenna situation.

In advance of the storm, please advise your local EC/DEC/ADEC (SEC/DEC listed below) of your availability to support a potential deployment anytime over the next 48 hours. We are creating a list of availability for ARESMAT (ARES Mutual Aid Team) deployment if needed for various local EOC’s, Red Cross, Salvation Army, NWS Storm Survey Teams, and hospitals as required. Keep your situational awareness level high for any updates from ARES leadership by checking your email for updates and our ARES web site at http://ema.arrl.org/ares and monitoring local SKYWARN/ARES/RACES frequencies for any updates on this developing situation.

When sending your availability, please send the following: Name, Call-sign, License Class, Capability (HF / VHF / UHF), Availability, and any other special notes we should be aware of. Also, please let us know if you can do an ARESMAT to the Western Massachusetts sections as most of the impacts will be experienced in Central and Western MA for this anticipated ice storm. We ask that as you contact your DEC, please send a copy of the message to blizzard@nsradio.org where multiple members of the EMA ARES Leadership will be able to access your availability.
What is ARES Stand-By mode?

ARES stand-by mode is to alert Amateurs within ARES that a mobilization is possible on a wide-scale and that some localized mobilizations are or could be taking place in isolated areas. It means to take a look at your Go-Kit and have batteries and equipment ready to go and charged up and take care of any requirements at home in case a mobilization is required and you can participate. Do NOT self-deploy. Wait for guidance from leadership for any deployment. It is an honor to be ready even if you don’t deploy for the event. Hopefully, this is just another exercise of our preparedness and capabilities. If not, the ARES leadership looks forward to working with you if any wide scale mobilization is required after the impact of this major storm to the region is fully understood.

Thanks for your continued support of Eastern Massachusetts ARES, as well as Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to you all!

Respectfully Submitted,
Jim Palmer (KB1KQW)
North Shore ARES District Emergency Coordinator

SEC/ASEC:
SEC – KD1CY – rmacedo@rcn.com
ASEC – N1YLQ – mpleger@comcast.net

DECs:
Essex County – KB1KQW – kb1kqw@nsradio.org
Middlesex County – KB1KQW – kb1kqw@nsradio.org
Metro-Boston – KB1KQW – kb1kqw@nsradio.org
Metro-Boston – K1BTH – bthaskell@gmail.com
Norfolk County – W3EVE – w3eve@arrl.net
Bristol County – N1YLQ – mpleger@comcast.net
Plymouth County – N1YLQ – mpleger@comcast.net
Cape & Islands – WQ1O – wq1o@comcast.com

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