Field Day 2009 Weather

Here is a bulletin (issued at 10:40 p.m. Friday) from SkyWarn about Field Day 2009 weather prospects.

Date: Sat, 27 Jun 2009 02:41:04 +0000 (UTC)
From: SkyWarn Announcement List <SkyWarn-list@oak.powersrvcs.net>
Reply-To: rmacedo@rcn.com
To: Skywarn-list@oak.powersrvcs.net
Subject: Severe Weather/Amateur Radio Field Day Coordination Message #4

Hello to all..

..The following is the fourth 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, threats for severe
weather and thunderstorms with their attendant lightning risk exists
for Saturday. Damp weather will return later Sunday and into next
week..

..A widespread severe weather outbreak occurred in the state of
Connecticut today.  The Newington Amateur Radio League Field Day site
was in the direct line of a severe thunderstorm and Hams took cover
and gave critcal reports to the Hartford-Tolland County SKYWARN Net
along with many other Amateur Operators and SKYWARN Spotters in the
state of Connecticut. Details follow in the text of the coordination
message..

..Saturday will bring another round of scattered to numerous strong to
severe thunderstorms across the region. This has the potential to
threaten Field Day sites with lightning and the potential for hail and
strong to damaging winds. All Field Day sites should use extreme
caution and closely guard their local SKYWARN Frequency, NOAA Weather
Radio or Internet and local media outlets for hazardous weather
information..

..Sunday appears to have less of a threat for thunderstorms and severe
weather then Friday and Saturday though this forecast is still a bit
into the future. Damp weather will be returning later Sunday into
early next week..

..Rememeber, 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 Saturday
from around Noon through early evening. 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.

A Severe Weather Outbreak occurred across the state of Connecticut on
Saturday.  Widespread tree and power line damage occurred in Hartford
and Tolland Counties of Connecticut and into portions of Southern
Connecticut. The National Weather Service is coordinating with state
emergency management to conduct a damage survey of the hardest hit
areas of Farmington, Burlington through Wethersfield and Marlborough
Connecticut, Southern Tolland County and into the southern Connecticut
counties of the NWS Brookhaven New York County Warning Area to
determine the extent of wind damage and what type of wind damage
occurred in the area. Any post storm large hail and damage reports
would be greatly helpful to support the damage survey. Any pictures
would also be of great help and can be sent as a reply to this
coordination message. The following is the latest Local Storm Report
at NWS Taunton:

NWS Taunton Latest Local Storm Report:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.nwus51.KBOX.html
NWS Taunton Local Storm Report as of 6/26/09 644 PM:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.nwus51.KBOX.html

It is noted that the Newington Amateur Radio League Field Day Site in
Newington, Connecticut was setting up and in the direct line of this
severe thunderstorm as was ARRL Headquarters. The Hams at NARL did an
excellent job of taking cover, guarding their SKYWARN frequency and
reporting wind damage and large hail from in and around their
location. Manager of Preparedness and Response at ARRL HQ, Dennis
Dura-K2DCD also gave several reports from ARRL Headquarters of large
hail and tree damage. We are very grateful to the Hartford-Tolland
County SKYWARN Net on the 146.790-Vernon, CT Repeater run by the
Pioneer Valley Radio Association and the Litchfield County SKYWARN Net
run on the KB1AEV Connecticut Linked System and all involved in
Connecticut SKYWARN for their tremendous support on Friday.

Unfortunately, it is now becoming more evident that another episode of
isolated to scattered strong to severe thunderstorms will affect the
region on Saturday. It has the potential to affect a larger area than
Friday's event. The character of the event will be different as the
cold front is through the region but an upper level low pressure
system will affect the region and this will bring a cold pool air
aloft to the region as temperatures warm into the mid-upper 70s. This
will set the stage for isolated to scattered strong to severe
thunderstorms with damaging winds and large hail the primary
threats. The timeframe of the threat should be in the afternoon to
early evening hours anytime after 2 PM though its possible activity
could form as early as midday. It is noted that even if thunderstorms
do not become severe, thunderstorms have the threat of lightning which
poses a threat to Field Day sites that are outdoors.

Amateur Radio Field Day sites operating outdoors on Saturday 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:

NWS Taunton Hazardous Weather Outlook:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.flus41.KBOX.html

SKYWARN Activation with Ops at NWS Taunton is likely on Saturday
starting around or shortly after noon. SKYWARN monitoring for
non-severe thunderstorms and their lightning risk will be done
throughout the weekend to protect Amateur Radio Field Day sites.

For Sunday, the threat for thunderstorms and any severe weather
appears more muted than Friday and Saturday. 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
threat for thunderstorms centered over the Friday and Saturday
timeframe at this time. Future coordination messages will better
define the activity for Sunday.

As stated previously, 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 Thursday 6/25/09 Lightning Safety Awareness Week Statement:
http://kamala.cod.edu/offs/KBOX/0906251315.nous41.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 1100 AM Saturday Morning.

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