Severe Weather & Amateur Radio Field Day Weekend Coordination Message #2 – Friday 6/27/25-Sunday 6/29/25

Hello to all..

..The following is the second 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 25 years for Amateur Radio Operators involved with Field Day and the NWS Boston/Norton SKYWARN Program..
..For 2025, Amateur Radio Field Day Weekend will feature cooler than normal conditions Friday with showers and isolated thunderstorms. There remains uncertainty whether portions of Southern New England will break into the warm sector on Saturday. Current indications are the warm front may stall near the Route 2 corridor with areas south of the front seeing temperatures from the 70s to mid-80s the farther southwest you go while along and north of Route 2, temperatures will remain in the 60s to around 70. There could be showers and an isolated non-severe thunderstorm Saturday Morning as the warm front moves through followed by a break and then thunderstorms and perhaps even isolated severe weather could occur late Saturday Afternoon into late Saturday Night/early Sunday Morning as a cold front moves through with the greatest thunderstorm risk the further southwest you are in Southern New England. Sunday will see summertime warmth and humidity with no rain after the overnight hours..
..We will not see the extreme heat we saw earlier this week during Field Day Weekend but we could see normal summer-like conditions on Saturday in areas of Southern New England south of Route 2 and on Sunday region wide so staying hydrated and taking occasional breaks from strenuous activities is still advised particularly for this weekend..
..There will be the threat for showers and isolated thunderstorms and at this time, any severe weather potential is confined to Saturday with the greatest risk the further southwest you are from the Route 2 corridor. Not everyone will see a shower or thunderstorm and it will not be a washout but outdoor Amateur Radio Field Day weekend sites should have rain gear on hand for setup and during Field Day Operations.
..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 possible on Saturday late Afternoon and evening. At this time, there does not appear to be a need for any type of SKYWARN Self-Activation or Amateur Radio Call-Up Nets for Friday or Sunday but the situation will be monitored closely for any weather support to Amateur Radio Field Day sites as needed on those days. Pictures and videos of storm damage, hail, and flooding can be sent as a reply to this email, via our WX1BOX Facebook, X and Bluesky feeds or to the email address pics@nsradio.org with credit given to the spotter unless otherwise indicated..

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/

This year’s Amateur Radio Field Day Weekend will not see the extreme heat of earlier this week. Friday looks cool with some showers scattered about the area and the chance for an isolated non-severe thunderstorm. There remains uncertainty whether portions of Southern New England will break into the warm sector on Saturday. Current indications are the warm front may stall near the Route 2 corridor with areas south of the front seeing temperatures from the 70s to mid-80s the farther southwest you go while along and north of Route 2, temperatures will remain in the 60s to around 70. There could be showers and an isolated non-severe thunderstorm Saturday Morning as the warm front moves through followed by a break and then thunderstorms and perhaps even isolated severe weather could occur late Saturday Afternoon into late Saturday Night/early Sunday Morning as a cold front moves through with the greatest thunderstorm risk the further southwest you are in Southern New England. The best severe weather potential resides over Eastern New York State but could spill into portions of Southern New England depending on the timing of the cold front, instability levels and shear profiles. Regardless of the severe weather threat, all thunderstorms contain an attendant lightning risk that Field Day sites should monitor closely. Sunday will see summertime warmth and humidity with no rain after the overnight hours.

While not as hot as earlier in the week, it looks to be warm and humid in areas south of the Route 2 corridor on Saturday and Sunday region wide for outdoor activities over the Field Day weekend period so Field Day sites should have plenty of liquids on hand and a place nearby to cool down whether it be a building or cars with AC to stay cool from the heat and take occasional breaks from strenuous activities. Heat tips and safety guidelines are also included in this message.

SKYWARN Self-Activation with Amateur Radio Call-Up Nets are possible on Saturday. At this time, there does not appear to be a need for any type of SKYWARN Self-Activation or Amateur Radio Call-Up Nets for Friday or Sunday but the situation will be monitored closely for any weather support to Amateur Radio Field Day sites as needed on those days. Pictures and videos of storm damage, hail, and flooding can be sent as a reply to this email, via our WX1BOX Facebook, X and Bluesky feeds or to 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 and Enhanced Hazardous Weather Outlook:

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

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 particularly for Saturday but possibly also Friday, 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 the 2023 NWS Boston/Norton Lightning Safety Awareness Week and Public Information Statements on Lightning Safety. See links below:
https://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning
https://wx1box.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/lightning_safety_awareness_PNS_2023.pdf

The next Severe Weather & Amateur Radio Field Day weekend coordination message will be posted by 11 PM Friday Evening. We hope the Amateur Radio community participating in Field Day has 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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