Special Announcement: Hurricane Awareness Tour – P3 Hurricane Plane at Quonset State Airport – North Kingstown, RI – Monday 5/6/19 Public Tours: 2-5 PM

Hello to all..

The National Weather Service Boston/Norton Massachusetts forecast office in coordination with the National Hurricane Center will be hosting the P3 Hurricane Hunter Aircraft and the C-130 Aircraft, part of the NOAA/National Hurricane Center Hurricane Awareness Tour, on Monday May 6th 2019 at the Quonset State Airport in North Kingstown RI. Public tours will be open from 200-500 PM. School, Media and VIP tours and presentations will occur between 915 AM-200 PM. This is similar to what was done in 2007 at Quonset State Airport in Rhode Island and 2011 at Otis Air Force Base in Falmouth, Massachusetts and this year’s event marks the first time in 8 years having the Hurricane Awareness Tour in Southern New England. Details on the Hurricane Awareness Tour can be seen via the following link:

https://www.weather.gov/box/2019HAT

In addition to the P3 Hurricane Hunter Aircraft, there will be numerous information booths from numerous agencies at the base for the Hurricane Awareness Tour. This will include a ‘special event’ Amateur Radio Station to make contacts via Amateur Radio nationally and internationally and will include making contact with the National Hurricane Center Amateur Radio Station in Miami Florida, WX4NHC. Amateur Operators will also be providing event communications for National Weather Service and National Hurricane Center personnel. The list of other Information booths for the Hurricane Awareness Tour is shown below:

NOAA Aircraft Operations Center
USAF Hurricane Hunters
National Hurricane Center
NWS Weather Prediction Center
NWS Boston/Norton Weather Forecast Office
Northeast River Forecast Center
Rhode Island Emergency Management
FEMA
American Red Cross
CoCoRaHS
USAA

Special thanks is given to FlightLevel Aviation for hosting this event at the Quonset State Airport!

Amateur Radio Talk-in frequencies will be the 147.075 MHz PL: 67.0 Hz Portsmouth RI Repeater and 146.52 MHz simplex.

We ask for wide distribution of this announcement and are looking forward to a great turnout for this event. This announcement will be retransmitted and updated with any changes by the weekend before this event.

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
Like us on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/wx1box
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Storm Coordination Message #1 – Saturday 4/20/19 – Heavy Rainfall/Flood/Strong Wind Potential

Hello to all…

..Heavy Rainfall may cause flooding of urban and poor drainage areas and small streams and rivers today through tonight in Western and Central New England. Strong wind gusts may occur across Central and Eastern New England today as it did Friday through the winds will likely be a bit less than Friday with most wind gusts in the 30-40 MPH range with isolated higher gusts in hilly terrain and some coastal areas..
..A Flood Watch is in effect through Saturday Night for Northern Connecticut and Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden and Worcester Counties of Massachusetts for widespread 1-2″ of rainfall with isolated higher amounts in areas that receive heavier showers or training areas of heavy rain. This rainfall may cause flooding of urban and poor drainage areas and some small rivers and streams..
..SKYWARN Self-Activation will monitor heavy rainfall, flooding and strong wind potential..

Yesterday, rainfall was relatively light but warmer temperatures allowed strong south and southwesterly winds cause isolated pockets of tree and wire damage with wind gusts in the 40-55 MPH range. Below are some of the damage reports and strong wind gusts:

NWS Boston/Norton Local Storm Report:
https://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.nwus51.KBOX.html

NWS Boston/Norton Public Information Statement:
https://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.nous41.KBOX.html

Rainfall will be heavier today and will spread eastward across Southern New England today through tonight. Most areas have rainfall under 1″ as of 930 AM but a few isolated locations have reached over 1″ of rainfall in the last 24 hours. Flood Watches continue for Northern Connecticut and Western and Central Massachusetts through Saturday Night. Areas outside of the Flood Watch could receive rainfall of around 1″ and if it falls fast enough, a few areas of urban and poor drainage flooding. Strong wind gusts are possible again today but should remain a bit lower than yesterday with wind gusts of 30-40 MPH with isolated higher gusts possible. This will be monitored in case they are stronger and more widespread than currently anticipated.

SKYWARN Self-Activation will monitor heavy rainfall, flooding and strong wind potential. This may be the only update on the current storm situation or it could be updated with more info tonight or Sunday Morning if needed. Below is the NWS Boston/Norton Flood Watch Statement, Hazardous Weather Outlook and Enhanced Hazardous Weather Outlook:

NWS Boston/Norton Flood Watch Statement:
https://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wgus61.KBOX.html

NWS Boston/Norton Hazardous Weather Outlook:
https://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.flus41.KBOX.html

NWS Boston/Norton Enhanced Hazardous Weather Outlook:
https://www.weather.gov/box/ehwo

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
Like us on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/wx1box
Follow us on Twitter – http://twitter.com/wx1box

Storm & Boston Marathon Weather Coordination Message #3 – Monday April 15th, 2019

Hello to all…

..Strong Storm System will bring mild temperatures through Southern New England including along the Boston Marathon route along with the potential for rain and heavier downpours and potentially isolated thunderstorms with attendant lightning risk Monday Morning. There is also the potential for strong winds during Marathon Monday under any heavier rain showers and thunderstorms and then as a cold front pass through the area late Monday Afternoon as the marathon ends, through Monday Night and into early Tuesday Morning..
..Boston Marathon volunteers and runners should prepare for the rain and changeable temperatures with largely mild conditions but a slightly cool start and a cooler mid to late afternoon from west to east across the marathon route. Temperatures will start out in the Upper 40s to Mid-50s and then soar to the Upper 60s to around 70 degrees by afternoon with temperatures dropping to the Upper 40s to lower 50s again after 4 PM Monday..
..A Wind Advisory remains in effect from 5 PM Monday through 8 AM Tuesday for Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden, Worcester, Middlesex, Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk Counties of Massachusetts for sustained winds of 15-25 MPH with gusts to 50 MPH likely. These winds will be sufficient to cause isolated pockets of tree and wire damage and isolated power outages. Areas outside of the Wind Advisory area could see wind gusts in the 35-45 MPH range..
..SKYWARN Activation with Ops at NWS Boston/Norton will commence at 600 AM Monday for the storm on Marathon Monday lasting through at least 600 PM Monday Evening and may be extended for several hours into Monday Evening to monitor the strong wind potential..

The following is the annual Boston Marathon Coordination Weather Message as well as storm coordination message for the upcoming storm system Sunday Night through late Monday Afternoon. There are little to no changes in the previous messaging:

While this may be a bit off topic for some SKYWARN Spotters, Amateur Radio Operators and Red Cross volunteers, many of which are SKYWARN Spotters, will be involved in the Boston Marathon on Monday April 15th. To reach out to the highest level of Amateur Radio Operators involved in the event, this coordination message is being sent out to the SKYWARN email list and posted to the various Amateur Radio lists. We appreciate everyone’s patience with this message. This is a joint message between the Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES)-SKYWARN program at NWS Boston/Norton and Eastern Massachusetts ARES. Due to the storm conditions and the fact some level of SKYWARN Activation will occur, messages will occur through at least Sunday Evening on the storm event.

Eastern Massachusetts ARES members not participating in the Boston Marathon are requested to be on standby for marathon activities on Monday April 15th from 6 AM-7 PM for any significant issues outside of the Boston Marathon that may require Amateur Radio Emergency Communications support and for any unexpected issues on the Boston Marathon route. With over 280 Amateur Radio Operators staffing the Boston Marathon route, the start line and the finish line, if an issue arises needing Amateur Radio support outside of the Marathon route or an unexpected issue arises in marathon operations, it is important that any ARES members not involved in the marathon can help with any response that is required. The Amateur Radio Station at the National Weather Service in Boston/Norton, WX1BOX, will be active on Monday April 15th for the Boston Marathon to provide weather support to the Amateur Radio community participating in the marathon and to gather any weather reports of significance during the marathon. This station will also be used to coordinate any ARES response to any significant incidents regarding Amateur Radio support outside of the marathon zone including any incidents that need to be provided to the State EOC for situational awareness information.

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) Multi-Agency Coordination Center (MACC) at the SEOC (State Emergency Operations Center) will be active for the Boston Marathon. Amateur Radio Operators will be at the SEOC to support Amateur Radio communications and will be on the air under call sign, WC1MA, while many agencies will be there performing primary operations for the marathon.

The weather outlook is definitely less than ideal for volunteers and also not ideal for runners either with rain, wind and changeable temperatures with mild conditions for much of the race cooling down towards later afternoon. Rain will become widespread across the marathon route in the late Sunday Night and Monday morning hours with the heaviest rain expected in the morning to early afternoon hours. This may result in some poor drainage street flooding in the region. Rain will become less widespread during the afternoon. Strong winds are also possible with wind gusts in the 20-30 MPH range with isolated higher gusts in any heavier downpours during the morning and early afternoon and then the winds will subside for a time after the rain passes. As a cold front passes through during the late afternoon hours after 3-4 PM, 30-50 MPH gusts will sweep across the area and the marathon course route. This could result in isolated pockets of tree and wire damage and isolated power outages and with the potential for stronger wind gusts, a Wind Advisory has been posted from 5 PM Monday Evening through 8 AM Tuesday Morning from Norfolk and Suffolk counties through the east slopes of the Berkshires of Massachusetts. Areas outside of the Wind Advisory area could see wind gusts in the 35-45 MPH range. The strongest winds will occur as the race ends and extend after the race is done though again some winds of 20-30 MPH with isolated higher gusts will occur with rainfall during Monday Morning. An isolated thunderstorm or two with attendant lightning risk is also possible but exact locations and whether they would occur on the marathon route are difficult to determine. The threat for thunderstorms is highest in the morning with a lower threat with the cold frontal passage in the afternoon. All runners, volunteers and spectators should monitor future weather forecasts and should prepare accordingly for these conditions. SKYWARN Activation with Ops at NWS Boston/Norton will commence at 600 AM Monday for the storm on Marathon Monday lasting through at least 600 PM Monday Evening and could extend a few hours into the early evening for the strong wind potential. Below is the NWS Boston/Norton Wind Advisory Statement, Hazardous Weather Outlook and Enhanced Hazardous Weather Outlook:

NWS Boston/Norton Wind Advisory Statement:
https://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wwus71.KBOX.html

NWS Boston/Norton Hazardous Weather Outlook:
https://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.flus41.KBOX.html

NWS Boston/Norton Enhanced Hazardous Weather Outlook:
https://www.weather.gov/box/ehwo

From a SKYWARN perspective, the 146.64-Waltham Repeater and 145.23-Boston Repeater are being utilized for Marathon operations. From an ARES perspective, the Minutemen Repeater Association Repeater Network is being utilized for marathon operations. Please review the SKYWARN Frequency listing for your closest alternate repeater from a SKYWARN or ARES perspective.
https://wx1box.org/southern-new-england-skywarn-frequency-list/

For Amateur Radio, Red Cross and all other volunteers along the route, it is recommended that you dress in layers for this event so that you can put on or take off clothes as needed for comfort. Temperatures will be mild during the day and even at the start of marathon operations, temperatures will be in the upper 40s to mid 50s and then warm to the 60s and possibly low 70s but cool off later in the day back into the upper 40s to lower 50s. Given these temperature ranges, it will be important to have clothes for cool conditions that you can then shed during the day as temperatures warm and then can put back on the layers as it cools later in the day. Rain gear is a must either with a clear poncho or a rain coat where you can still display appropriate credentials outside of the raincoat. Be sure to drink liquids and eat properly during the event and that you are self-sufficient so that you can be of full help to the function and not distract everyone from the main purpose of supporting the runners by having a health issue on your end that can be avoided. For volunteers, the BAA has sent around via email weather safety tips and suggestions on clothing and other safety tips though we would tell folks to have layers of clothes to account for temperature changes from cool to mild/warm to cool during the course of the day and have clothes to protect yourself from wet conditions as outlined above.

For those people that are planning to go to the Boston Marathon as spectators, the following link details guidelines for spectators for the 2019 Boston Marathon:
https://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/watch/spectators

This will be the last coordination message as we shift into operations mode. We appreciate everyone’s support in this event and hope those that volunteer enjoy themselves and feel the self-satisfaction of supporting this historic event and those that are monitoring the Marathon or events outside of the Marathon realize that the monitoring is an important function as well and is a testament to being able to scale other incidents beyond the marathon if required. Thanks to all for their support!

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
Like us on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/wx1box
Follow us on Twitter – http://twitter.com/wx1box

Storm & Boston Marathon Weather Coordination Message #2 – Monday April 15th, 2019

Hello to all…

..Strong Storm System will bring mild temperatures through Southern New England including along the Boston Marathon route along with the potential for rain and heavier downpours and potentially isolated thunderstorms with attendant lightning risk. There is also the potential for strong winds during Marathon Monday under any heavier rain showers and thunderstorms and then as a cold front pass through the area late Monday Afternoon as the marathon ends, through Monday Night and into early Tuesday Morning..
..Boston Marathon volunteers and runners should prepare for the rain and changeable temperatures with largely mild conditions but a slightly cool start and a cooler mid to late afternoon from west to east across the marathon route..
..A Wind Advisory is now in effect from 5 PM Monday through 8 AM Tuesday for Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden, Worcester, Middlesex, Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk Counties of Massachusetts for sustained winds of 15-25 MPH with gusts to 50 MPH likely. These winds will be sufficient to cause isolated pockets of tree and wire damage and isolated power outages. Areas outside of the Wind Advisory area could see wind gusts in the 35-45 MPH range..
..SKYWARN Activation with Ops at NWS Boston/Norton will commence at 600 AM Monday for the storm on Marathon Monday lasting through at least 600 PM Monday Evening and may be extended for several hours into Monday Evening to monitor the strong wind potential..

The following is the annual Boston Marathon Coordination Weather Message as well as storm coordination message for the upcoming storm system Sunday Night through late Monday Afternoon:

While this may be a bit off topic for some SKYWARN Spotters, Amateur Radio Operators and Red Cross volunteers, many of which are SKYWARN Spotters, will be involved in the Boston Marathon on Monday April 15th. To reach out to the highest level of Amateur Radio Operators involved in the event, this coordination message is being sent out to the SKYWARN email list and posted to the various Amateur Radio lists. We appreciate everyone’s patience with this message. This is a joint message between the Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES)-SKYWARN program at NWS Boston/Norton and Eastern Massachusetts ARES. Due to the storm conditions and the fact some level of SKYWARN Activation will occur, messages will occur through at least Sunday Evening on the storm event.

Eastern Massachusetts ARES members not participating in the Boston Marathon are requested to be on standby for marathon activities on Monday April 15th from 6 AM-7 PM for any significant issues outside of the Boston Marathon that may require Amateur Radio Emergency Communications support and for any unexpected issues on the Boston Marathon route. With over 280 Amateur Radio Operators staffing the Boston Marathon route, the start line and the finish line, if an issue arises needing Amateur Radio support outside of the Marathon route or an unexpected issue arises in marathon operations, it is important that any ARES members not involved in the marathon can help with any response that is required. The Amateur Radio Station at the National Weather Service in Boston/Norton, WX1BOX, will be active on Monday April 15th for the Boston Marathon to provide weather support to the Amateur Radio community participating in the marathon and to gather any weather reports of significance during the marathon. This station will also be used to coordinate any ARES response to any significant incidents regarding Amateur Radio support outside of the marathon zone including any incidents that need to be provided to the State EOC for situational awareness information.

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) Multi-Agency Coordination Center (MACC) at the SEOC (State Emergency Operations Center) will be active for the Boston Marathon. Amateur Radio Operators will be at the SEOC to support Amateur Radio communications and will be on the air under call sign, WC1MA, while many agencies will be there performing primary operations for the marathon.

The weather outlook is definitely less than ideal for volunteers and also not ideal for runners either with rain, wind and changeable temperatures with mild conditions for much of the race cooling down towards later afternoon. Rain will become widespread across the marathon route in the late Sunday Night and Monday morning hours with the heaviest rain expected in the morning to early afternoon hours. This may result in some poor drainage street flooding in the region. Rain will become less widespread during the afternoon. Strong winds are also possible with wind gusts in the 20-30 MPH range with isolated higher gusts in any heavier downpours during the morning and early afternoon and then the winds will subside for a time after the rain passes. As a cold front passes through during the late afternoon hours after 3-4 PM, 30-50 MPH gusts will sweep across the area and the marathon course route. This could result in isolated pockets of tree and wire damage and isolated power outages and with the potential for stronger wind gusts, a Wind Advisory has been posted from 5 PM Monday Evening through 8 AM Tuesday Morning from Norfolk and Suffolk counties through the east slopes of the Berkshires of Massachusetts. The strongest winds will occur as the race ends and extend after the race is done though again some winds of 20-30 MPH with isolated higher gusts will occur with rainfall during Monday Morning. An isolated thunderstorm or two with attendant lightning risk is also possible but exact locations and whether they would occur on the marathon route are difficult to determine. The threat for thunderstorms is highest in the morning with a lower threat with the cold frontal passage in the afternoon. All runners, volunteers and spectators should monitor future weather forecasts and should prepare accordingly for these conditions. SKYWARN Activation with Ops at NWS Boston/Norton will commence at 600 AM Monday for the storm on Marathon Monday lasting through at least 600 PM Monday Evening and could extend a few hours into the early evening for the strong wind potential. Below is the NWS Boston/Norton Wind Advisory Statement, Hazardous Weather Outlook and Enhanced Hazardous Weather Outlook:

NWS Boston/Norton Wind Advisory Statement:
https://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wwus71.KBOX.html

NWS Boston/Norton Hazardous Weather Outlook:
https://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.flus41.KBOX.html

NWS Boston/Norton Enhanced Hazardous Weather Outlook:
https://www.weather.gov/box/ehwo

From a SKYWARN perspective, the 146.64-Waltham Repeater and 145.23-Boston Repeater are being utilized for Marathon operations. From an ARES perspective, the Minutemen Repeater Association Repeater Network is being utilized for marathon operations. Please review the SKYWARN Frequency listing for your closest alternate repeater from a SKYWARN or ARES perspective.
https://wx1box.org/southern-new-england-skywarn-frequency-list/

For Amateur Radio, Red Cross and all other volunteers along the route, it is recommended that you dress in layers for this event so that you can put on or take off clothes as needed for comfort. Temperatures will be mild during the day and even at the start of marathon operations, temperatures will be in the upper 40s to low 50s and then warm to the 60s and possibly low 70s but cool off later in the day back into the upper 40s to lower 50s. Given these temperature ranges, it will be important to have clothes for cool conditions that you can then shed during the day as temperatures warm and then can put back on the layers as it cools later in the day. Rain gear is a must either with a clear poncho or a rain coat where you can still display appropriate credentials outside of the raincoat. Be sure to drink liquids and eat properly during the event and that you are self-sufficient so that you can be of full help to the function and not distract everyone from the main purpose of supporting the runners by having a health issue on your end that can be avoided. For volunteers, the BAA has sent around via email weather safety tips and suggestions on clothing and other safety tips though we would tell folks to have layers of clothes to account for temperature changes from cool to mild/warm to cool during the course of the day and have clothes to protect yourself from wet conditions as outlined above.

For those people that are planning to go to the Boston Marathon as spectators, the following link details guidelines for spectators for the 2019 Boston Marathon:
https://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/watch/spectators

Another coordination message will be posted by 1000 PM Sunday Evening. We appreciate everyone’s support in this event and hope those that volunteer enjoy themselves and feel the self-satisfaction of supporting this historic event and those that are monitoring the Marathon or events outside of the Marathon realize that the monitoring is an important function as well and is a testament to being able to scale other incidents beyond the marathon if required. Thanks to all for their support!

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
Like us on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/wx1box
Follow us on Twitter – http://twitter.com/wx1box

Storm & Boston Marathon Weather Coordination Message #1 – Monday 4/15/19

Hello to all…

..Strong Storm System will bring mild temperatures through Southern New England including along the Boston Marathon route along with the potential for rain and heavier downpours and potentially isolated thunderstorms with attendant lightning risk. There is also the potential for strong winds during Marathon Monday under any heavier rain showers and thunderstorms and then as a cold front pass through the area..
..Boston Marathon volunteers and runners should prepare for the rain and changeable temperatures with largely mild conditions but a slightly cool start and a cooler mid to late afternoon from west to east across the marathon route..
..SKYWARN Activation with Ops at NWS Boston/Norton will commence at 600 AM Monday for the storm on Marathon Monday lasting through at least 600 PM Monday Evening..

The following is the annual Boston Marathon Coordination Weather Message as well as storm coordination message for the upcoming storm system Sunday Night through late Monday Afternoon:

While this may be a bit off topic for some SKYWARN Spotters, Amateur Radio Operators and Red Cross volunteers, many of which are SKYWARN Spotters, will be involved in the Boston Marathon on Monday April 15th. To reach out to the highest level of Amateur Radio Operators involved in the event, this coordination message is being sent out to the SKYWARN email list and posted to the various Amateur Radio lists. We appreciate everyone’s patience with this message. This is a joint message between the Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES)-SKYWARN program at NWS Boston/Norton and Eastern Massachusetts ARES. Due to the storm conditions and the fact some level of SKYWARN Activation will occur, messages will occur through at least Sunday Evening on the storm event.

Eastern Massachusetts ARES members not participating in the Boston Marathon are requested to be on standby for marathon activities on Monday April 15th from 6 AM-7 PM for any significant issues outside of the Boston Marathon that may require Amateur Radio Emergency Communications support and for any unexpected issues on the Boston Marathon route. With over 280 Amateur Radio Operators staffing the Boston Marathon route, the start line and the finish line, if an issue arises needing Amateur Radio support outside of the Marathon route or an unexpected issue arises in marathon operations, it is important that any ARES members not involved in the marathon can help with any response that is required. The Amateur Radio Station at the National Weather Service in Boston/Norton, WX1BOX, will be active on Monday April 15th for the Boston Marathon to provide weather support to the Amateur Radio community participating in the marathon and to gather any weather reports of significance during the marathon. This station will also be used to coordinate any ARES response to any significant incidents regarding Amateur Radio support outside of the marathon zone including any incidents that need to be provided to the State EOC for situational awareness information.

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) Multi-Agency Coordination Center (MACC) at the SEOC (State Emergency Operations Center) will be active for the Boston Marathon. Amateur Radio Operators will be at the SEOC to support Amateur Radio communications and will be on the air under call sign, WC1MA, while many agencies will be there performing primary operations for the marathon.

The weather outlook is definitely less than ideal for volunteers and also not ideal for runners either with rain, wind and changeable temperatures with mild conditions for much of the race cooling down towards later afternoon. Rain will become widespread across the marathon route in the late Sunday Night and Monday morning hours with the heaviest rain expected in the morning to early afternoon hours. This may result in some poor drainage street flooding in the region. Rain will become less widespread during the afternoon. Strong winds are also possible with wind gusts in the 20-30 MPH range with isolated higher gusts in any heavier downpours during the morning and early afternoon. As a cold front passes through during the afternoon hours after 2-3 PM, 30-45 MPH gusts will sweep across the area and the marathon course rate. This could result in isolated pockets of tree and wire damage and isolated power outages. An isolated thunderstorm or two with attendant lightning risk is also possible but exact locations and whether they would occur on the marathon route are difficult to determine. All runners, volunteers and spectators should monitor future weather forecasts and should prepare accordingly for these conditions. SKYWARN Activation with Ops at NWS Boston/Norton will commence at 600 AM Monday for the storm on Marathon Monday lasting through 600 PM Monday Evening. Below is the NWS Boston/Norton Hazardous Weather Outlook and Enhanced Hazardous Weather Outlook:

NWS Boston/Norton Hazardous Weather Outlook:
https://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.flus41.KBOX.html

NWS Boston/Norton Enhanced Hazardous Weather Outlook:
https://www.weather.gov/box/ehwo

From a SKYWARN perspective, the 146.64-Waltham Repeater and 145.23-Boston Repeater are being utilized for Marathon operations. From an ARES perspective, the Minutemen Repeater Association Repeater Network is being utilized for marathon operations. Please review the SKYWARN Frequency listing for your closest alternate repeater from a SKYWARN or ARES perspective.
https://wx1box.org/southern-new-england-skywarn-frequency-list/

For Amateur Radio, Red Cross and all other volunteers along the route, it is recommended that you dress in layers for this event so that you can put on or take off clothes as needed for comfort. Temperatures will be mild during the day and even at the start of marathon operations, temperatures will be in the upper 40s to low 50s and then warm to the 60s and possibly low 70s but cool off later in the day back into the upper 40s to lower 50s. Given these temperature ranges, it will be important to have clothes for cool conditions that you can then shed during the day as temperatures warm and then can put back on the layers as it cools later in the day. Rain gear is a must either with a clear poncho or a rain coat where you can still display appropriate credentials outside of the raincoat. Be sure to drink liquids and eat properly during the event and that you are self-sufficient so that you can be of full help to the function and not distract everyone from the main purpose of supporting the runners by having a health issue on your end that can be avoided. For volunteers, the BAA has sent around via email weather safety tips and suggestions on clothing and other safety tips though we would tell folks to have layers of clothes to account for temperature changes from cool to mild/warm to cool during the course of the day and have clothes to protect yourself from wet conditions as outlined above.

For those people that are planning to go to the Boston Marathon as spectators, the following link details guidelines for spectators for the 2019 Boston Marathon:
https://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/watch/spectators

Another coordination message will be posted by 1100 AM Sunday Morning. We appreciate everyone’s support in this event and hope those that volunteer enjoy themselves and feel the self-satisfaction of supporting this historic event and those that are monitoring the Marathon or events outside of the Marathon realize that the monitoring is an important function as well and is a testament to being able to scale other incidents beyond the marathon if required. Thanks to all for their support!

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
Like us on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/wx1box
Follow us on Twitter – http://twitter.com/wx1box

Special Announcement: National Hurricane Conference in New Orleans Louisiana Amateur Radio Workshop to Be Livestreamed – Tuesday 4/23/19 Amateur Radio Workshop 1130 AM-600 PM EDT/1030 AM-500 PM CDT

Hello to all…

Amateur Radio will again be represented at the 2019 National Hurricane Conference which will be held this year in New Orleans Louisiana. The conference theme is to improve hurricane preparedness as it has been in past years. All Amateur Radio sessions are free. For 2019, all the Amateur Radio sessions will be on Tuesday April 23rd, 2019 from 1130 AM-115 PM EDT (1030 AM-1215 PM CDT) and 230-600 PM EDT (130-500 PM CDT). Each presenter will not only give an overview of their respective group but also how their group handled both the historic 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season and the 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season. We will be working to have the session livestreamed, however, in recent years, we have had issues with proper Internet connectivity speeds to support the livestream due to restrictions on Internet speed on some hotel Internet providers. Right now, the plan is to provide it but if not the videos will be uploaded and provided post event and that will be done regardless of livestream capability.

Amateur Radio presentations recorded and livestreamed via Youtube follow below:

http://www.nsradio.org/stream
http://www.voipwx.net/files/stream.htm

Here is the session breakdown:

Detailed Schedule Outline – All Times (Eastern Daylight Time – EDT) but please note that where this is in New Orleans Louisiana, their local time zone is CDT hence the difference in timing for the east coast this year:
1130 AM-1135 AM: Opening Remarks
1135 AM-1205 PM: Importance of Amateur Radio Surface Reports (WX4KEG-Ken Graham, National Hurricane Center Director)
1205 PM-1235 PM: Canadian Hurricane Centre and Hurricane Meteorological Topics (VE1MBR-Bob R)
1235 PM-115 PM: US Virgin Islands Response and Recovery to Hurricanes Irma and Maria (K9VV-Fred K)

—> NOTE: Speakers will be on a lunch break from 115 PM-230 PM EDT

230-310 PM: WX4NHC Amateur Radio Station at the National Hurricane Center Overview (WD4R)
310-340 PM: Hurricane Watch Net Overview, Personal Weather Stations and Backup Power and Antenna Overview (KB5HAV)
340-410 PM: VoIP Hurricane Net Overview & Best Practices in SKYWARN for Tropical Systems (KD1CY)

—> NOTE: Speakers will be on a break from 410-430 PM EDT

430-515 PM: SATERN, Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network Overview (WB8BZH)
515-600 PM: Moderated Q & A session and Panel Discussion (All)
600-615 PM: Door Prize Raffles (In Person Audience Only)

We hope many of you can watch the livestream or see the recording of the Amateur Radio Workshop as the Atlantic Hurricane Season starts on June 1st. Thanks to all for their support of the Amateur Radio Workshop and the NWS Boston/Norton SKYWARN program.

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
Like us on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/wx1box
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Storm Coordination Message #1 – Friday Night 4/5/19-Saturday Morning 4/6/19 Light Wintry Mix Potential

Hello to all…

..Light Wintry Mix Across Southern New England will become more confined to the East Slopes of the Berkshires overnight with some light snow and ice accumulations possible in the higher elevations..
..A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect through 600 AM EDT Saturday for Western Franklin, Western Hampshire and Western Hampden Counties of Massachusetts for a coating to 2″ of snow and a trace to 0.10″ ice accumulation with the highest amounts at elevations of 1,000 feet or higher. Other areas that have had a light wintry mix will change to rain with some mixed precipitation possible in the Worcester hills but should result in little to no accumulation..
..SKYWARN Self-Activation will monitor the light wintry mix conditions overnight into early Saturday Morning. Below is the NWS Boston/Norton Winter Weather Advisory statement, Hazardous Weather Outlook, Enhanced Hazardous Weather Outlook and Snow and Ice Maps..

NWS Boston/Norton Winter Weather Advisory Statement:
https://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wwus41.KBOX.html

NWS Boston/Norton Hazardous Weather Outlook:
https://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.flus41.KBOX.html

NWS Boston/Norton Enhanced Hazardous Weather Outlook:
https://www.weather.gov/box/ehwo

NWS Boston/Norton Snow Maps:
https://www.weather.gov/box/winter

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
Like us on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/wx1box
Follow us on Twitter – http://twitter.com/wx1box

Storm Coordination Message #2 – Late Tuesday Night 4/2/19-Wednesday Morning 4/3/19 Coastal Storm Potential

Hello to all…

..Coastal storm to bring strong to damaging winds, heavy rainfall and a period of wet snow to portions of Southern New England..
..A Winter Weather Advisory is now in effect from 1-8 AM EDT Wednesday for Worcester and Northern Middlesex Counties of Massachusetts for 1-4″ of snow with the highest amounts at elevations of 1,000 feet or higher. If snow amounts get above 4″, isolated pockets of tree and wire damage would be possible from the wet snow in these areas. Other interior locations south and east of the advisory area from Norfolk County, Suffolk County area of Massachusetts, Northern Rhode Island and Northeast Connecticut to the advisory border could see a coating to 2″ of snow..
..A Wind Advisory is in effect for Nantucket from 4 AM to 1 PM Wednesday for sustained winds of 25-35 MPH with wind gusts to 50 MPH. These winds will cause isolated pockets of tree and wire damage and isolated power outages. Cape Cod could see wind gusts to at least 45 MPH with possibly higher gusts. This area will also be monitored for stronger winds if a closer approach for the storm allows for higher wind speeds..
..Will monitor heavy rainfall for any minor urban/poor drainage flooding issues with the potential for 1-2″ of rain in Southeastern New England with isolated higher amounts possible..
..A Wind Advisory is in effect for Western, Central, and Northeast Massachusetts from Norfolk County and the Greater Boston area through Southeast New Hampshire for sustained winds of 15-25 MPH with gusts to 50 MPH and isolated higher wind gusts possible. These winds will cause isolated pockets of tree and wire damage and isolated power outages..
..SKYWARN Self-Activation will monitor the storm system for Wednesday for snowfall reports, precipitation type changeover, criteria rainfall reports and criteria wind gusts, wind damage information including during the late overnight hours through the Wednesday Morning commute timeframe and then in the afternoon/early evening for the strong wind potential..

A coastal storm will track close enough to Southern New England to bring heavy rainfall to Southeast New England and rain changing to snow to portions of Southern New England. Strong to damaging winds will likely occur on the Cape and Islands first and then will affect much of interior Massachusetts later in the day. The headlines reflect the latest thinking. Key factors include:

1.) How quickly the rain changes to snow in portions of Central New England and how effectively it accumulates during the overnight hours if it falls heavily. A closer storm track would bring the potential for snowfall amounts greater than 4″ and a chance for isolated tree and wire damage and power outages from wet snow.
2.) Strong winds on Cape Cod and the Islands and Southeast New England during the morning and early afternoon hours as there is the potential for stronger wind gusts than currently posted depending on the storm track and how effectively the winds can reach the surface. This will be monitored closely.
3.) Heavy rainfall over South Coastal Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Cape Cod and the Islands and the potential for urban and poor drainage flooding depending how quickly the rainfall occurs in this area.

SKYWARN Self-Activation will monitor the storm system for Wednesday for snowfall reports, precipitation type changeover, criteria rainfall reports and criteria wind gusts, wind damage information including during the late overnight hours through the Wednesday Morning commute timeframe and then in the afternoon/early evening for the strong wind potential. This will be the last coordination message for this system and a significant update occurs and time allows for an update. Below is the NWS Boston/Norton Winter Weather Advisory statement, Wind Advisory Statement, Hazardous Weather Outlook, Enhanced Hazardous Weather Outlook and snow maps:

NWS Boston/Norton Winter Weather Advisory Statement:
https://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wwus41.KBOX.html

NWS Boston/Norton Wind Advisory Statement:
https://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.wwus71.KBOX.html

NWS Boston/Norton Hazardous Weather Outlook:
https://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.flus41.KBOX.html

NWS Boston/Norton Enhanced Hazardous Weather Outlook:
https://www.weather.gov/box/ehwo

NWS Boston/Norton Snow Maps:
https://www.weather.gov/box/winter

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
Like us on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/wx1box
Follow us on Twitter – http://twitter.com/wx1box

Storm Coordination Message #1 – Late Tuesday Night 4/2/19 Through Wednesday Morning 4/3/19

Hello to all…

..Model uncertainty higher than normal in the short-term on a coastal storm affecting Eastern and possibly Central portions of Southern New England with strong winds at the coast and then across much of the area as the storm departs, heavy rain in Southeast New England and even some accumulating snow during the morning hours Wednesday. The following represents current thinking with some changes possible if the storm track is closer than current expectations..
..Strong winds across the Cape and Islands and Southeast Coastal New England may reach 45 MPH and could exceed 45 MPH with heavy rainfall with more widespread strong winds in the region as the storm departs. Heavy rainfall of 1-2″ is possible in Southeast New England with lesser amounts elsewhere..
..The hills of Central Massachusetts, Northwest Rhode Island and Northeast Connecticut will see a coating to 2″ of snow where the wet snow is heaviest and mostly on grassy surfaces with the wet snow occurring between Midnight to 9 AM Wednesday..
..SKYWARN Self-Activation will monitor the coastal storm conditions for late Tuesday Night through Wednesday Morning. Below is the NWS Boston/Norton Hazardous Weather Outlook and Enhanced Hazardous Weather Outlook..

NWS Boston/Norton Hazardous Weather Outlook:
https://kamala.cod.edu/ma/latest.flus41.KBOX.html

NWS Boston/Norton Enhanced Hazardous Weather Outlook:
https://www.weather.gov/box/ehwo

NWS Boston/Norton Snow Maps:
https://www.weather.gov/box/winter

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
Like us on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/wx1box
Follow us on Twitter – http://twitter.com/wx1box