February 2014

Special Announcement: VoIP Hurricane Prep Net Saturday March 1st 2014 8 PM ET Training Topic – February 2014 Winter Storm Impacts over the Eastern US – A Repeat of January 2014

February 24, 2014 Rob Macedo Leave a comment

Hello to all..

Once again, for interested Amateur Radio Operators who have access to Echolink and/or IRLP, the VoIP Hurricane Prep Net on the *WX_TALK* Echolink conference node: 7203/IRLP 9219 system will have a training topic regarding the recent Winter Storms of February 2014 that have affected the Eastern United States and how it was a repeat of the pattern that was seen in January 2014. This net and presentation will be held this Saturday Evening, March 1st, 2014 at 8 PM ET. We will look at a few winter storms that impacted the Northeast US/New England region in mid-February and then discuss the mid-February 2/11-2/13 winter storm that affected much of the US Eastern Seaboard. We will also touch on the safety tips for such winter storms as mentioned in last month’s net as the northern half of the US will remain in a cold winter weather pattern for the next couple of weeks with a potential storm traversing the country this weekend into early next week.

We encourage folks to participate in this month’s VoIP Hurricane Prep Net and listen and view the training that will be presented. In the interest of time, net management team members will give brief comments and then we will be checking in Amateurs with no comments and move right into the training presentation as we used to do in the past when having such training topics and as we did for the February 2014 net. There will be an opportunity for Amateurs to ask questions at the end of the training presentation.

The Power Point presentation is now available and can be seen at the following link:
http://www.voipwx.net/files/VoIP_Hurricane_Net_Presentation_for_March_2014.pdf

For those that cannot make the net, the power point presentation and a recording of the net will be available and archived on the voipwx.net web site. Another announcement will be made regarding the location of the of the net recording. Thanks to all!

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503 (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 508-346-2929 (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
http://ares.ema.arrl.org
http://beta.wx1box.org
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Storm Coordination Message #2 – Thursday Evening 2/20/14-Friday 2/21/14 Storm Event

February 20, 2014 Rob Macedo Leave a comment

Hello to all..

..Another Storm System On Track for Tonight through Friday but a warmer system for the region..
..A Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect from 9 PM Thursday Evening to 10 AM Friday Morning for Southern New Hampshire and Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Worcester and North-Central Middlesex Counties for a period of snow and sleet changing to a period of freezing rain causing hazardous road conditions. An inch or less of snow is expected with a tenth to quarter inch of ice expected..
..As precipitation changes to rain late Friday Morning and lasts through Friday Evening, storm drains clogged with snow and areas of poor drainage could experience flooding. There also remains a low possibility that ice on area rivers may move due to rainfall and icemelt causing isolated ice jam development on rivers and streams.
..Isolated strong wind gusts are possible in any convective line of heavy showers and possibly even thunderstorms that may develop and allow for stronger winds aloft to reach the surface. The greatest threat of this activity is in Southeast New England..
..SKYWARN Self-Activation will monitor this storm system for tonight and Friday. Ops at NWS Taunton are possible during the day Friday if an increased risk for poor drainage or ice jam flooding or strong winds in a line of heavy showers and possible thunderstorms develops. Another coordination message will be posted by 9 AM Friday Morning. Below is the NWS Taunton Winter Weather Advisory Statement and Hazardous Weather Outlook..

NWS Taunton Winter Weather Advisory Statement:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wwus41.KBOX.html

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

Respectfully Submitted,

Uncategorized

Storm Coordination Message #1 – Thursday Evening 2/20/14-Friday 2/21/14 Storm Event

February 20, 2014 Rob Macedo Leave a comment

Hello to all..

..Another Storm System for Tonight through Friday but a warmer system for the region..
..A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect from 9 PM Thursday Evening to 10 AM Friday Morning for Southern New Hampshire and Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Worcester and North-Central Middlesex Counties for a period of snow and sleet changing to a period of freezing rain causing hazardous road conditions. An inch or less of snow is expected with a tenth to quarter inch of ice expected..
..As precipitation changes to rain late Friday Morning and lasts through Friday Evening, storm drains clogged with snow and areas of poor drainage could experience flooding. There is also a low possibility that ice on area rivers may move due to rainfall and icemelt causing isolated ice jam development on rivers and streams.
..Isolated strong wind gusts are possible in any convective line of heavy showers and possibly even thunderstorms that may develop and allow for stronger winds aloft to reach the surface..
..SKYWARN Self-Activation will monitor this storm system for tonight and Friday. Ops at NWS Taunton are possible during the day Friday if an increased risk for poor drainage or ice jam flooding or strong winds develops. Another coordination message will be posted by 7 PM Thursday Evening. Below is the NWS Taunton Winter Weather Advisory Statement and Hazardous Weather Outlook..

NWS Taunton Winter Weather Advisory Statement:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wwus41.KBOX.html

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

Respectfully Submitted,

Uncategorized

Storm Coordination Message #1 – Wednesday 2/19/14 Winter Storm Event

February 19, 2014 Rob Macedo Leave a comment

Hello to all..

..A smaller, weaker storm system for today across Southern New Hampshire and Northern Massachusetts. A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect from 1 PM-10 PM Wednesday for Northern Worcester and Northern Middlesex Counties Massachusetts for 2-4″ of snow. 2-4″ of snow is also expected over Southern New Hampshire but advisory level thresholds are higher for Southern New Hampshire. In the rest of Western Massachusetts through South-Central and interior Northeast Massachusetts, a dusting to 2 inches of snow is expected..
..SKYWARN Self-Activation will monitor this storm event. This will be the only coordination message on this storm event unless a significant upgrade to the situation occurs. Below is the NWS Taunton Winter Weather Advisory, Hazardous Weather Outlook and Snowfall Map..

NWS Taunton Winter Weather Advisory Statement:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wwus41.KBOX.html

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

NWS Taunton Snowfall Map:
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/box/StormTotalSnow/index.php

Respectfully Submitted,

Uncategorized

Storm Coordination Message #2 – Tuesday 2/18/14 Winter Storm Event

February 18, 2014 Rob Macedo Leave a comment

Hello to all..

..Another Winter Storm on Track for Portions of Southern New England..
..A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect from 7 AM to 10 PM Tuesday for Cheshire and Hillsborough Counties of New Hampshire for 6-10 Inches of snow. A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect from 7 AM to 8 PM Tuesday for Western Essex, North-Central Middlesex and Northern Worcester Counties of Massachusetts and has been expanded into Eastern Franklin County Massachusetts for 4-8 inches of snow..
..A Winter Weather Advisory is now in effect from 7 AM to 8 PM Tuesday for Western Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden, Southern Worcester, Eastern Essex, Southeast Middlesex, Suffolk, Norfolk, and Northern Bristol Counties of Massachusetts, Northern Connecticut and Kent and Providence Counties of Rhode Island for 3-6 inches of snow..
..Areas south and east of the winter weather advisory area is expected to receive a dusting to 2 inches of snow before changing to rain. If that changeover doesn’t occur, advisory level snowfall will be possible..
..As of 730 AM, Snow is overspreading portions of Western Massachusetts and Northwest Connecticut and Southern New Hampshire should spread into eastern areas later this morning and midday today. Snow will be light during the morning and into the early afternoon hours and then the snow is expected to become heavy with 1″ per hour snow rates possible in the warning and advisory areas prior to and during the evening commute before ending later in the evening. Thundersnow is also possible during the late afternoon and evening..
..SKYWARN Self-Activation will monitor the storm during the day for snowfall reports and changeover of precipitation type. This will be the last coordination message for this storm event unless a significant change to the situation occurs. Below is the NWS Taunton Winter Storm Warning/Winter Weather Advisory Statement, Hazardous Weather Outlook and Snowfall Map..

NWS Taunton Winter Storm Warning/Winter Weather Advisory Statement:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wwus41.KBOX.html

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

NWS Taunton Snowfall Map:
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/box/StormTotalSnow/index.php

Respectfully Submitted,

Uncategorized

Storm Coordination Message #1 – Tuesday 2/18/14 Winter Storm Event

February 17, 2014 Rob Macedo Leave a comment

Hello to all..

..Another Winter Storm for Portions of Southern New England..
..A Winter Storm Warning is now in effect from 7 AM to 10 PM Tuesday for Cheshire and Hillsborough Counties of New Hampshire for 4-8 Inches of snow. A Winter Storm Warning is now in effect from 7 AM to 8 PM Tuesday for Essex, North-Central Middlesex and Northern Worcester Counties of Massachusetts for 4-8 inches of snow..
..A Winter Weather Advisory is now in effect from 7 AM to 8 PM Tuesday for Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden, Southern Worcester, Eastern Essex, Southeast Middlesex, Suffolk, Norfolk, and Northern Bristol Counties of Massachusetts, Northern Connecticut and Kent and Providence Counties of Rhode Island for 3-6 inches of snow..
..Areas south and east of the winter weather advisory area is expected to receive a dusting to 2 inches of snow before changing to rain. If that changeover, doesn’t occur, advisory level snowfall will be possible..
..SKYWARN Self-Activation will monitor the storm during the day for snowfall reports and changeover of precipitation type. Another coordination message will be issued by 9 AM Tuesday Morning. Below is the NWS Taunton Winter Storm Warning/Winter Weather Advisory Statement, Hazardous Weather Outlook and Snowfall Map..

NWS Taunton Winter Storm Warning/Winter Weather Advisory Statement:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wwus41.KBOX.html

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

NWS Taunton Snowfall Map:
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/box/StormTotalSnow/index.php

Respectfully Submitted,

Uncategorized

Special Announcement: SKYWARN Training 2014 Schedule – Additional Training Sessions Being Planned

February 15, 2014 Rob Macedo Leave a comment

Hello to all..

As we prepare for the anticipated Blizzard for Saturday 2/15/14-Sunday Morning 2/16/14 especially for Eastern New England, we have posted the initial SKYWARN Training 2014 Schedule. Additional Training sessions are being planned so additional updates on SKYWARN Training 2014 will be posted over the next several weeks. The SKYWARN Training 2014 Schedule can be seen via the following links:

http://beta.wx1box.org/node/36
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/box/officePrograms/skywarn/skywarnTraining.shtml

Respectfully Submitted,

Uncategorized

Blizzard/Storm Coordination Message #3 – Saturday-Sunday AM 2/15/14-2/16/14 Potential Blizzard/Winter Storm Event

February 15, 2014 Rob Macedo Leave a comment

Hello to all..

..Yet another Major Winter Coastal Storm/Blizzard for Portions of Southern New England as the Winter of 2013-2014 tightens its grip on the region before moderation comes by the middle to end of next week..
..A Blizzard Warning is now in effect from 4 PM Saturday Afternoon through 5 AM Sunday Morning for all of Eastern Essex, East Coastal Plymouth County Massachusetts and Cape Cod for 6-10″ of snow with the potential for 10-14″ snowfall amounts and possibly isolated higher amounts in East Coastal Plymouth County and Cape Cod with sustained winds of 30-40 MPH with gusts to 60-65 MPH and isolated higher gusts possible leading to blizzard conditions..
..A Blizzard Warning is now in effect from 7 PM Saturday Evening through 5 AM Sunday Morning for Dukes County/Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Island for 4-8″ of snow with isolated higher amounts and sustained winds of 30-40 MPH with gusts to 60-65 MPH and isolated higher gusts possible leading to blizzard conditions..
..A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect from 10 AM Saturday Morning to 5 AM Sunday Morning for all of Rhode Island except for Block Island, Southeast Middlesex, Norfolk, Suffolk, Bristol and Western and Southern Plymouth Counties of Massachusetts for 8-12″ of snow with isolated amounts possible with near blizzard conditions possible in Southeast Coastal Massachusetts and sustained winds 15-25 MPH with gusts to 45-50 MPH and higher gusts possible along Southeast Coastal Massachusetts..
..A Winter Storm Warning is now in effect from 10 AM Saturday Morning to 5 AM Sunday Morning for Central Middlesex, Western Essex, Southern Worcester Counties of Massachusetts and Windham County Connecticut for 4-8″ of snow and sustained winds 10-20 MPH with gusts to 35 MPH..
..A Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect from 10 AM Saturday to Midnight Saturday Night for Hartford-Tolland Counties of Connecticut, Northern Worcester, Northern and Northern Middlesex Counties of Massachusetts and has been expanded to all of Hillsborough County New Hampshire and Franklin, Hampshire and Hampden Counties of Massachusetts for 3-6″ of snow..
..A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for Block Island Rhode Island from 10 AM Saturday to 5 AM Sunday for 4-6″ of snow and sustained winds of 20-30 MPH with gusts to 50 MPH..
..A Coastal Flood Advisory is now in effect from 9 PM Saturday Evening to 4 AM Sunday Morning for Cape Cod and Nantucket Island for north and east facing locations for the potential of minor coastal flooding at tonight’s high tide cycle..
..SKYWARN Activation with Ops at NWS Taunton will commence by 4 PM Saturday Afternoon and last through early Sunday Morning..

Models have continued to agree on a significant impact particularly for Eastern New England with yet another major coastal storm/blizzard for the region. This new major coastal storm/blizzard will take shape to our west and rapidly intensify off the Southern New England coast. Models are in good agreement now on a significant impact to Eastern New England with a more moderate impact elsewhere. The message headlines detail the potential impacts for Southern New England and have been adjusted to reflect stronger wind potential at the coast, the potential for minor coastal flooding on Cape Cod and Nantucket and higher snowfall in northwest locations. This is now the third Blizzard Warning issued for a portion of the NWS Taunton Coverage Area this winter season and affecting similar areas to the prior Blizzard Warnings from this season.

Unlike the past blizzards of earlier this year, the snow is likely to be somewhat heavier and wetter and coupled with the strong to damaging wind potential, we will need to monitor for the potential of isolated pockets of tree and wire damage and power outages in the Blizzard Warning areas and locations closest to the Blizzard Warning area. The model consensus being followed shows that this storm event should again fall short of the impact of the February Blizzard of 2013 but this will be monitored closely particularly over Cape Cod and the Islands and Southeast Plymouth County.

There is still a bit of uncertainty in the northwest extent of this system. The model consensus shows that the northwestern parts of the region will get a moderate, plowable snow out of this storm system but there will be a sharp cutoff which may mean a sharp difference in snowfall amounts in these area. The headlines above reflect the latest thinking on how that will lineup for northwest parts of the region. Further adjustments could occur as this coastal storm takes shape over the region.

Due to stronger winds expected over Cape Cod and Nantucket Island, A Coastal Flood Advisory is in effect for Cape Cod and Nantucket Island from 9 PM tonight through 400 AM Sunday Morning for minor coastal flooding at the time of tonight’s high tide. The coastal flooding is expected to be less than the early January 2014 blizzard but minor shore road flooding in north and east facing locations are possible in these areas.

SKYWARN Activation with Ops at NWS Taunton will commence at 400 PM this afternoon through Sunday Morning. This will likely be the last coordination message for this potential major winter storm/blizzard. Below is the NWS Taunton Blizzard Warning/Winter Storm Warning/Winter Weather Advisory Statement, Coastal Flood Advisory Statement, Hazardous Weather Outlook and Snowfall Map:

NWS Taunton Blizzard Warning/Winter Storm Warning/Winter Weather Advisory Statement:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wwus41.KBOX.html

NWS Taunton Coastal Flood Advisory Statement:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.whus41.KBOX.html

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

NWS Taunton Snowfall Map:
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/box/StormTotalSnow/index.php

Respectfully Submitted,

Uncategorized

Blizzard/Storm Coordination Message #2 – Saturday-Sunday AM 2/15/14-2/16/14 Potential Blizzard/Winter Storm Event

February 15, 2014 Rob Macedo Leave a comment

Hello to all..

On Friday, wind gusts across portions of Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island ranged from 40-50 MPH with Cape Cod and Nantucket Island receiving wind gusts in the 50-60 MPH range with isolated higher gusts as the coastal storm from Thursday departed the region.

Models have converged on a significant impact particularly for Eastern New England with yet another major coastal storm/blizzard for the region. This new major coastal storm/blizzard will take shape to our west and rapidly intensify off the Southern New England coast. Models are in good agreement now on a significant impact to Eastern New England with a more moderate impact elsewhere. The message headlines detail the potential impacts for Southern New England. This is now the third Blizzard Watch issued for a portion of the NWS Taunton Coverage Area this winter season and affecting similar areas to the prior Blizzard Watches from this season.

Unlike the past blizzards of earlier this year, the snow is likely to be somewhat heavier and wetter and coupled with the strong winds, we will need to monitor for the potential of isolated pockets of tree and wire damage and power outages in the Blizzard Watch areas and locations closest to the Blizzard Watch area. This will be monitored closely though this storm event should again fall short of the impact of the February Blizzard of 2013.

The remaining uncertainty is the northwest extent of this system. Some weather models are trying to bring heavier precipitation throughout much of Southern New England while the majority of weather models feature a fairly sharp cutoff in the heaviest snows as aligned in the current forecast and watches/warnings/advisories as outlined in the above headlines. This could be further adjusted as we get closer to this significant winter storm event for Eastern New England and moderate storm event for portions of South-Central New England.

SKYWARN Activation with Ops at NWS Taunton are likely Saturday Afternoon through early Sunday Morning. The next coordination message on the winter storm for this weekend will be posted by 11 AM Saturday Morning. Below is the NWS Taunton Blizzard Watch/Winter Storm Warning/Winter Weather Advisory Statement, Hazardous Weather Outlook and Snowfall Map:

NWS Taunton Blizzard Watch/Winter Storm Warning/Winter Weather Advisory Statement:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wwus41.KBOX.html

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

NWS Taunton Snowfall Map:
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/box/StormTotalSnow/index.php

Respectfully Submitted,

Uncategorized

Storm Coordination Message #1 – Friday 2/14/14 High Wind Event and Saturday-Sunday AM 2/15/14-2/16/14 Winter Storm Event

February 14, 2014 Rob Macedo Leave a comment

Hello to all..

..The Winter of 2013-2014 will tighten its grip on the region before moderation comes by the middle of next week. Current departing storm will bring strong to damaging winds to portions of the region today through early this evening followed by another coastal storm affecting Eastern New England Saturday Afternoon through Sunday Morning..
..A High Wind Warning is now in effect from 7 AM-6 PM Friday for Cape Cod and the Islands for sustained winds of 25-35 MPH with gusts to 60 MPH likely. These winds may cause isolated to scattered pockets of tree and wire damage and power outages..
..A Wind Advisory is now in effect from 10 AM-6 PM Friday for Southern New Hampshire, Essex, Middlesex, Worcester, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bristol and Plymouth Counties of Massachusetts and all of Rhode Island for sustained winds of 20-30 MPH with gusts to 50 MPH. This may bring isolated pockets of tree and wire damage and power outages to this area..
..A Winter Storm Watch is now in effect from Saturday Morning through late Saturday Night for all of Rhode Island, Eastern Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bristol and Plymouth Counties of Massachusetts and Cape Cod and the Islands for the potential of around or greater than 6″ of snow..
..SKYWARN Self-Activation will monitor the winds for today with Ops at NWS Taunton possible. SKYWARN Activation in some form is likely Saturday with Ops at NWS Taunton possible..

Today’s departing storm brought additional snow and ice accumulations overnight. Any snowfall and ice reports from the overnight precipitation are appreciated.

As the storm departs, strong to damaging winds will develop over Southern New Hampshire, Eastern and Central Massachusetts and Rhode Island. A High Wind Warning is in effect for Cape Cod and the Islands from 7 AM-6 PM Friday for sustained winds of 25-35 MPH with gusts to 60 MPH likely. A Wind Advisory is in effect for the remainder of Eastern and Central Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Southern New Hampshire from 10 AM-6 PM today for sustained winds of 20-30 MPH with gusts to 50 MPH. These winds and in northwest parts of the advisory area coupled with the snow and ice will have the potential to bring isolated to scattered pockets of tree and wire damage and power outages to this area.

After this storm departs, a new storm will take shape to our west and rapidly intensify off the Southern New England coast. American computer models bring the storm close enough for significant impact in Eastern New England. European models are a bit more offshore. The trend for much of the winter is to have storm systems look more offshore but then track closer to Southern New England. Based on current trends, this storm will likely have a significant impact across Eastern New England. To that end, a Winter Storm Watch is now in effect from Saturday Morning through late Saturday Night for all of Rhode Island, Eastern Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bristol and Plymouth Counties of Massachusetts and Cape Cod and the Islands for the potential of around or greater than 6″ of snow. The snowfall and wind impacts from this system should be better understood this evening after another model suite is in and trends can be further understood and the initial NWS Taunton Snowfall Map will likely be revised further based on the latest model runs.

SKYWARN Self-Activation will monitor the winds for today with Ops at NWS Taunton possible. SKYWARN Activation in some form is likely Saturday with Ops at NWS Taunton possible. A shortened coordination message will be issued if time allows and Ops at NWS Taunton are initiated for today’s winds. The next coordination message on the winter storm for this weekend will be posted by 11 PM this evening. Below is the NWS Taunton Winter Storm Watch Statement, High Wind Warning/Wind Advisory Statement, Hazardous Weather Outlook and Snowfall Map:

NWS Taunton Winter Storm Watch Statement:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wwus41.KBOX.html

NWS Taunton High Wind Warning/Wind Advisory Statement:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wwus71.KBOX.html

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

NWS Taunton Snowfall Map:
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/box/StormTotalSnow/index.php

Respectfully Submitted,