Severe Weather & Amateur Radio Field Day Weekend Coordination Message #4 – Sunday 6/23/24

Hello to all…

..The following is the fourth 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 20 years for Amateur Radio Operators involved with Field Day and the NWS Boston/Norton SKYWARN Program..
..A higher end severe weather event/outbreak is likely today, Sunday, in Western and Central Massachusetts and Northern Connecticut with other portions of interior Southern New England north and west of a Boston to Providence line also likely to see severe weather today. Amateur Radio Field Day sites in the region should be on high alert and have multiple ways to receive weather information as the Field Day operation winds down Sunday Afternoon into early evening..
..The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has placed Western and Central Massachusetts in Enhanced Risk for severe weather today with a slight risk for severe weather in Connecticut, Eastern Massachusetts and much of Rhode Island with a Marginal Risk for severe weather for the rest of Southern New England. Threat timeframe is from 1-10 PM Sunday. Storm coverage today is expected to be the highest of this 5 day stretch of severe weather with potential for higher end severe weather today over a wider area..
..Strong to damaging winds, isolated tornadoes, hail, frequent lightning and heavy downpours leading to urban and poor drainage flooding are the main threats for Sunday with the main risk area in interior Southern New England north and west of a Boston to Providence line..
..A Heat Advisory remains in effect through 7 PM Sunday Evening for Northern Connecticut, Eastern Hampden and Eastern Hampshire Counties of Massachusetts for heat indices to 97 degrees..
..Any thunderstorms have lightning potential which is a safety hazard for all Amateur Radio Field Day sites. Amateur Radio Field Day sites are encouraged to guard their local Amateur Radio SKYWARN frequency and have multiple ways to receive weather alerts during the course of this Field Day weekend including by cell phone/Internet and NOAA Weather Radio..
..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..
..SKYWARN Self-Activation with Amateur Radio Call-Up Nets are likely Sunday Afternoon and Evening in interior Southern New England for the severe weather and flood potential and activate as needed to guard Amateur Radio Field Day sites to provide weather information as well as to gather reports meeting SKYWARN reporting criteria throughout this weekend. Pictures, videos and storm damage reports from today or this stretch of severe weather from Wednesday through Saturday can be sent as a reply to this message via our WX1BOX Facebook and Twitter feeds or via the email address pics@nsradio.org with credit given to the spotter unless otherwise indicated..
..Saturday’s severe weather event along with the severe weather events from Wednesday through Friday are covered after messaging about Sunday’s potential severe weather outbreak..

Here are some links to information on these Amateur Radio Field Day Sites from across the region.

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

As we close out Amateur Radio Field Day weekend, we have the potential for a higher end severe weather outbreak in much of interior Southern New England as a stronger cold front that is a stronger triggering mechanism, strong wind shear profiles coupled with similar levels of instability as we have seen the last few days to result in a potential severe weather outbreak with all modes of severe weather, damaging winds, hail, isolated tornadoes and heavy rainfall leading to urban and poor drainage flooding are potential threats. The timeframe is from 1-10 PM Sunday Afternoon and Evening as Amateur Radio Field Day winds down and takedown of field setups will be occurring.

The severe weather could come in one long round of activity or be in two rounds with activity ahead of the front that will be more discreet cells followed by a line of severe thunderstorms with the actual cold front. This will evolve as we go through the day today.

SKYWARN Self-Activation with Amateur Radio Call-Up Nets are likely Sunday Afternoon and Evening in interior Southern New England for the severe weather and flood potential and activate as needed to guard Amateur Radio Field Day sites to provide weather information as well as to gather reports meeting SKYWARN reporting criteria throughout this weekend. Pictures, videos and storm damage reports from today or this stretch of severe weather from Wednesday through Saturday can be sent as a reply to this message via our WX1BOX Facebook and Twitter feeds or via the email address pics@nsradio.org with credit given to the spotter unless otherwise indicated.

Below are links to the NWS Boston/Norton Area Forecast Discussion, Hazardous Weather Outlook, Enhanced Hazardous Weather Outlook, SPC Day-1 Convective Outlook and NWS Norton Heat Advisory Statement:

NWS Boston/Norton Area Forecast Discussion:
https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=NWS&issuedby=BOX&product=AFD&format=CI&version=1&glossary=1&highlight=off

NWS Boston/Norton Enhanced Hazardous Weather Outlook:
https://www.weather.gov/erh/ghwo?wfo=box

SPC Day-1 Convective Outlook:
https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/day1otlk.html

NWS Boston/Norton Heat Advisory Statement:
https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=NWS&issuedby=BOX&product=NPW&format=CI&version=1&glossary=1&highlight=off

Below is information from the prior severe weather events from Wednesday 6/19 through Saturday 6/22:

On Saturday, another round of severe weather affected the region with the hardest hit areas for wind damage in Wilbraham, Hampden and into the Stafford Springs, CT area. If there are any additional post storm damage, hail, and flood pictures and videos or reports, we would appreciate them. See the Amateur Radio Report log and Local Storm Report info below:

WX1BOX Amateur Radio Log:
https://wx1box.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/reports_6_22_24.pdf

NWS Boston/Norton Local Storm Report:
https://wx1box.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/LSR_6_22_24.pdf

On Friday, severe weather and flash flooding developed in portions of Western and Central Massachusetts, Northern Connecticut and Western Rhode Island. See the Amateur Radio report log and Local Storm Report info below:

WX1BOX Amateur Radio Report log:
https://wx1box.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/reports_6_21_24.pdf

NWS Boston/Norton Local Storm Report:
https://wx1box.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/LSR_6_21_24.pdf

Thursday saw the severe weather coverage increase in area with pockets of wind damage and hail across Western, North-Central and Northeast Massachusetts. See the Amateur Radio Report log and Local Storm Report info below:

WX1BOX Amateur Radio Report log:
https://wx1box.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/reports_6_20_24.pdf

NWS Boston/Norton Local Storm Report:
https://wx1box.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/LSR_6_20_24.pdf

On Wednesday, severe weather activity which was expected to stay north of Southern New England spilled into Northwest and North-Central Massachusetts with pockets of wind damage and flooding noted across parts of Franklin, Hampshire and Northwest Worcester Counties. See the Amateur Radio Report log and Local Storm Report info below:

WX1BOX Amateur Radio Log:
https://wx1box.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/reports_6_19_24.pdf

NWS Boston/Norton Local Storm Report:
https://wx1box.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/LSR_6_19_24.pdf

Amateur Radio Field Day sites are encouraged to bring a NOAA All-Hazards Weather Radio, monitor various cell phone weather apps where Amateur Operators may have those available and have a dedicated Ham Radio that can monitor their local SKYWARN frequency for their area as a best safety and preparedness practice as there is a threat for thunderstorm development and any thunderstorm can be a threat to the safety of Amateur Radio Field Day sites. 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 *NEW-ENG3* Node: 9123/IRLP 9123 would be helpful as well. Please see the link below for the latest SKYWARN Frequency information for the region:
https://wx1box.org/southern-new-england-skywarn-frequency-list/

During setup and takedown of Amateur Radio Field Day sites and even while operating, be sure to drink plenty of fluids and eat accordingly. The link below features information on Heat Safety:
https://www.weather.gov/safety/heat

With the thunderstorm threat for this weekend, now is the time to remind folks that lightning is a threat to any and all Amateur Radio Field Day sites. Remember your lightning safety tips and details on lightning safety can be seen at the following link and we have also added a link from last year’s NWS Boston/Norton Lightning Safety Awareness Week and Public Information Statements on Lightning Safety from both 2023 and 2024. See links below:
https://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning
https://wx1box.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/lightning_safety_awareness_PNS_2023.pdf
https://wx1box.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/lightning_safety_awareness_PNS_2024.pdf

This will be the last Severe Weather & Amateur Radio Field Day weekend coordination message as Field Day weekend ends and due to likely SKYWARN Operations this afternoon and evening. We hope the Amateur Radio community participating in Field Day has had a great weekend!

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)
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
https://ares.ema.arrl.org
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