Storm/Amateur Radio Field Day Coordination Message #1 – Friday 6/26/15-Sunday 6/28/15 Amateur Radio Field Day Weekend Weather Information

June 25, 2015 Rob Macedo Leave a comment

Hello to all..

..The following is the first in a series of messages on Amateur Radio Field Day Weekend and providing information on the weather during this period. This is a tradition spanning over 13 years for Amateur Radio Operators involved with Field Day and the NWS Taunton SKYWARN Program..
..This year’s Amateur Radio Field Day weekend will feature dry weather conditions Friday into Saturday Afternoon. After that, a windswept rain is expected to develop across much of the NWS Taunton coverage area Saturday Evening through Sunday. This will likely make Amateur Radio Field Day activities wet during the second half of the weekend. Field Day sites are advised to bring rain gear and to prepare for possible windy conditions that could develop as well as for the chance of lightning in any embedded thunderstorm activity that might occur. A widespread 1-3″ of rainfall is likely Saturday Evening into Sunday with the highest amounts currently expected in Western New England though that could change as we get closer to the storm event..
..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 also noted that several states have given proclamations to Amateur Radio/Ham Radio Operators for either an ‘Amateur Radio Day or Amateur Radio Week’ during the month of June or an ‘Amateur Radio Month’ for this month. It is both a fun/preparatory event for Ham Radio Operators for Emergency Communications scenarios..
..SKYWARN Self-Activation is likely to monitor the Saturday Evening into Sunday storm system. Ops at NWS Taunton are possible depending on the extent of the Saturday Evening to Sunday Morning storm threat..

There are a large number of Amateur Radio Field Day sites across the NWS Taunton Coverage Area and adjacent NWS Coverage Areas. Here are some links to information on these Amateur Radio Field Day Sites from across the region:

Amateur Radio Field Day Information: http://www.arrl.org/field-day
Amateur Radio Field Day National Locator: http://www.arrl.org/field-day-locator
Eastern Massachusetts Field Day Home Page: http://fd.ema.arrl.org/

If there is additional Amateur Radio Field Day information that you would like to appear in these coordination message, please contact me and it will be added to this section of the Amateur Radio Field Day Coordination Message. There will likely be a series of Field Day Coordination Messages through Saturday Evening given the potential storm system for Saturday Evening into Sunday.

Friday into Saturday Afternoon will feature largely dry and cool conditions. There could be some scattered showers Friday Morning particularly in South Coastal areas but conditions will improve through the day Friday and then be dry through Saturday Afternoon. High temperatures will be in the low 70s with low temperatures in the 50s with some slightly cooler lows in rural areas. As we get into late Saturday Morning into Saturday Afternoon, clouds will increase and thicken over the region.

As we get into Saturday Evening into Sunday, a review of the model runs understanding that we are 48-72 hours out from the storm event shows strong correlation on a heavy rainfall event in the Saturday Evening to Sunday timeframe. Some models have the start time of rainfall as early as late Saturday Afternoon or early evening while other model runs have the rain starting late Saturday Night or early Sunday Morning in the 10 PM-2 AM timeframe. Heavier rainfall is expected by Sunday Morning and depicted similarly across the various model runs. Both models bring the heaviest rainfall into Western New England but periods of rain, heavy at times will extend into Eastern New England. By storm’s end, rainfall amounts of 1-3″ are likely region wide but the higher rainfall amounts in the range are likely in Western New England and potentially secondarily along the Northeast Massachusetts area bordering New Hampshire. Winds may also be a concern with this storm system but it is a bit premature to get into the details on the winds and how strong they will be. Concerning thunderstorm potential, conditions will actually be quite cool as the storm hits with temperatures in the upper 50s and 60s but the strength of the system could mean embedded thunder and lightning in the heavy rain area and a chance for a few thunderstorms later on Sunday Afternoon depending on the evolution of the storm system. These details will be worked out as we get closer to the storm event. In addition, the axis of heaviest rainfall could shift in future forecasts and will be monitored closely.

SKYWARN Self-Activation is likely to monitor the Saturday Evening into Sunday storm system. Ops at NWS Taunton are possible depending on the extent of the Saturday Evening to Sunday Morning storm threat. Below is a link to the NWS Taunton Hazardous Weather Outlook for those interested in checking out weather conditions over the course of Amateur Radio Field Day Weekend:

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

As a reminder, during setup and takedown of Amateur Radio Field Day sites and even while operating, be sure to drink plenty of fluids and eat accordingly. Also having a jacket or sweatshirt during evenings as conditions cool etc. may also be useful while operating this year’s Field Day as well as rain gear given the potential for rain and heavy rainfall. The links below features information on Heat Safety though its noted conditions will be cooler than normal with temperatures in the low 70s Friday and Saturday and even cooler during the storm system Saturday Night into Sunday as well as Lightning Safety since this year’s Amateur Radio Field Day weekend coincides with Lightning Safety Awareness Week and Flood Safety Information from the NWS Taunton Flood Safety Awareness Week given the potential for heavy rainfall during the second half of Amateur Radio Field Day weekend:

NWS Heat Safety Rules:
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/heat/index.shtml

NWS Taunton Flood Safety Awareness Week Information:
http://beta.wx1box.org/local/flood_awareness_2015.txt

NWS Taunton Lightning Safety Awareness Week Information:
http://beta.wx1box.org/local/lightning_safety_awareness_2015.txt

Amateur Radio 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 as a best safety and preparedness practice. Also sites that have mobile Internet capability can utilize that capability as a way to monitor for weather information. With Mobile Internet capability, utilizing Echolink to monitor the New England Reflector system on Echolink Conference Node: 9123/IRLP 9123 would be helpful as well. Please see the link below for the latest SKYWARN Frequency information for the region:
http://beta.wx1box.org/node/37

The next coordination message will be posted by 930 AM Friday Morning.

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Assistant 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://beta.wx1box.org
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