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
https://www.wx1box.org
Like us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/wx1box
Follow us on Twitter – https://twitter.com/wx1box
Subscribe on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@wx1box-nwsboston-amateur-radio

Hello to all…

..The following is the third 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..
..This year’s Amateur Radio Field Day Weekend will feature the risk for Isolated to Scattered Strong to Severe Thunderstorms for Saturday and Sunday. It will remain warm and humid over most of Southern New England with some relief in Northeast Massachusetts Saturday before warm and humid conditions resume there for Sunday..
..A Heat Advisory is now in effect through 7 PM Sunday Evening for Northern Connecticut, Eastern Hampden and Eastern Hampshire Counties of Massachusetts for heat indices to 97 degrees..
..The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has placed Western and Central Massachusetts, Connecticut and interior Rhode Island in a Marginal Risk for severe weather for Saturday. Threat timeframe is from1-8 PM Saturday. Storm coverage is expected to be similar to Friday and perhaps slightly stronger if enough sun and heating for instability and destabilization is realized with slightly stronger wind shear profiles aloft..
..SPC has placed Western and North-Central Massachusetts and Northwest Connecticut in a slight risk for severe weather Sunday with the rest of Southern New England in a marginal risk for severe weather. Rough timing window for this potential is 1-10 PM Sunday and will be fine-tuned in future updates..
..Strong to damaging winds, hail, frequent lightning and heavy downpours leading to urban and poor drainage flooding are the main threats this weekend but an isolated brief tornado cannot be ruled out for Saturday and an isolated tornado risk exists Sunday in the slight risk area of Western and Northwest Massachusetts and Northwest Connecticut and will be monitored closely..
..At this time, not every Field Day site will see a shower, thunderstorm or severe weather and a widespread washout is not expected. Some Field Day sites could be dry all weekend but other Field Day sites could be quite wet depending on where showers and thunderstorms develop. This will be monitored throughout the weekend..
..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 Saturday and 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..

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/

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

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 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

As we enter into Amateur Radio Field Day weekend, the thunderstorm and greatest severe weather potential will be across Western and Central Massachusetts, Northern Connecticut and Western Rhode Island for Saturday similar to how Friday was and this is on the warm end of the frontal boundary draped across the area. For Sunday, all of Southern New England has the potential for thunderstorms and severe weather with the greatest risk in the slight risk for severe weather area across Western and North-Central Masachusetts and Northwest Connecticut. This potential will be monitored closely as it may overlap with the end of Field Day weekend and the takedown of Amateur Radio station sites. Here is a breakdown of potential hazards by each day:

Saturday Afternoon and Evening:
Clouds and fog are burning off from west to eat which should allow for the heating and destabilization necessary to initiate severe thunderstorm development in the Marginal Risk for severe weather area. There is a bit more wind shear than the prior severe weather days and if the instability can develop with heating, it will set the stage for severe weather coverage similar to Friday in a similar area as yesterday. Threat timeframe is 1-8 PM which is also similar to Friday.

Sunday Afternoon and Evening:
This could be a day where much of Southern New England has severe weather potential and there is increasing risk for severe weather particularly in interior Southern New England with the greatest threat in Western and North-Central Massachusetts and Northern Connecticut. Wind shear profiles appear even stronger Sunday versus earlier in the week. The threat timeframe right now is between 1-10 PM Sunday and will be fine-tuned in the next coordination message and the headlines depict the current severe weather risk area for Southern New England.

While not as hot as earlier in the week, it will still be warm and humid 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. Heat tips and safety guidelines are also included in this message. Northeast Massachusetts will have the most relief from the heat Saturday but the heat will return there as we get into Sunday.

SKYWARN Self-Activation with Amateur Radio Call-Up Nets are likely Saturday and 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. Below are links to the NWS Boston/Norton Area Forecast Discussion, Hazardous Weather Outlook, Enhanced Hazardous Weather Outlook, SPC Day-1, and Day-2 Convective Outlooks 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

SPC Day-2 Convective Outlook:
https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/day2otlk.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

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

The next Severe Weather & Amateur Radio Field Day weekend coordination message will be posted by 10 AM Sunday Morning due to likely SKYWARN Operations this afternoon and 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
https://www.wx1box.org
Like us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/wx1box
Follow us on Twitter – https://twitter.com/wx1box
Subscribe on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@wx1box-nwsboston-amateur-radio

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 20 years for Amateur Radio Operators involved with Field Day and the NWS Boston/Norton SKYWARN Program..
..This year’s Amateur Radio Field Day Weekend will feature the risk for Isolated to Scattered Strong to Severe Thunderstorms for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It will remain warm and humid over most of Southern New England with some relief in Northeast Massachusetts Friday Afternoon into Saturday before warm and humid conditions resume there for Sunday. A Heat Advisory remains in effect through 7 PM for Northern Connecticut, Hampden, Hampshire Counties of Massachusetts for heat indices to 95 degrees.
..The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has placed Western and Central Massachusetts, Connecticut and interior Rhode Island in a Marginal Risk for severe weather Friday. Threat timeframe between 1-8 PM Friday. SPC has placed Western, Central and interior Northeast Massachusetts and Northern Connecticut in a marginal risk for severe weather Saturday. Threat timeframe 1-8 PM Saturday as well. SPC has placed all of Southern New England in a marginal risk for severe weather. Timing will be better known for Sunday’s severe weather potential on Saturday..
..Strong to damaging winds, hail, frequent lightning and heavy downpours leading to urban and poor drainage flooding are the main threats this weekend..
..At this time, not every Field Day site will see a shower, thunderstorm or severe weather and a widespread washout is not expected. Some Field Day sites could be dry all weekend but other Field Day sites could be quite wet depending on where showers and thunderstorms develop. This will be monitored throughout the weekend..
..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..
..Conditions will be warm and humid Friday through Sunday though not as hot as earlier this week particularly in areas of Northeast Massachusetts which will have less heat and humidity Friday and into Saturday before becoming warm and humid again. Portions of Western Massachusetts, Northern Connecticut and Northern Rhode Island may continue to have heat similar to the previous days through Friday before conditions cool slightly Saturday but remain warm and humid over this time period..
..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 Friday Afternoon and Evening in interior Southern New England for the severe weather and flood potential and possible Saturday through this weekend. SKYWARN Self-Activation will monitor conditions throughout Field Day weekend 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..

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/

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

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

For Friday as we enter into Amateur Radio Field Day weekend, the thunderstorm and greatest severe weather potential will be across Western and Central Massachusetts, Northern Connecticut and North-Central Rhode Island. For Saturday, the greatest severe weather potential is Western, Central and interior Northeast Massachusetts and Northern Connecticut and for Sunday all of Southern New England has the potential for thunderstorms and severe weather. Here is a breakdown of potential hazards by each day:

Friday Afternoon and Evening:
The Severe Thunderstorm potential maybe a bit more isolated, perhaps similar to Wednesday of this week. It will be dependent on the frontal position that will bring cooler air into Northeast Massachusetts and amount of shear that overlaps with greater instability in the marginal risk area. Threat timeframe is 1-8 PM. In addition to the severe weather and lightning potential, flooding from very heavy downpours will bear close watching for flooding issues in areas that get repeated downpours.

Saturday Afternoon and Evening:
This will depend on what occurs Friday and if the front that will be over the region separating warmer and more humid air from somewhat cooler air shifts northeast or holds its current position. If it shifts northeast, much of Southern New England would have thunderstorm and severe weather potential. If it doesn’t shift much, the current area of Marginal Risk denoted by SPC will be the impacted area and this will be updated in future updates. Threat timeframe is 1-8 PM like Friday.

Sunday Afternoon and Evening:
This could be a day where much of Southern New England has severe weather potential but will depend on prior day’s convection, cloud debris, frontal position/triggering mechanism etc. and will be better known as we get to Saturday. Wind shear profiles appear a bit stronger for Sunday. All of Southern New England has a marginal risk for severe weather per SPC. Hazard timing will be better known on Saturday.

While not as hot as earlier in the week, it will still be warm and humid 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. Heat tips and safety guidelines are also included in this message. Northeast Massachusetts will have the most relief from the heat Friday into Saturday but the heat will return there as we get into Sunday.

SKYWARN Self-Activation with Amateur Radio Call-Up Nets are likely Friday Afternoon and Evening in interior Southern New England for the severe weather and flood potential and possible Saturday through this weekend. SKYWARN Self-Activation will monitor conditions throughout Field Day weekend 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. Below are links to the NWS Boston/Norton Area Forecast Discussion, Hazardous Weather Outlook, Enhanced Hazardous Weather Outlook, SPC Day-1, Day-2 and Day-3 Convective Outlooks 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

SPC Day-2 Convective Outlook:
https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/day2otlk.html

SPC Day-3 Convective Outlook:
https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/day3otlk.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

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 and will update with this year’s statements in a future coordination message. 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 10 AM Saturday Morning due to likely SKYWARN Operations this afternoon and 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
https://www.wx1box.org
Like us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/wx1box
Follow us on Twitter – https://twitter.com/wx1box
Subscribe on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@wx1box-nwsboston-amateur-radio

Hello to all..

..This message covers the severe weather potential for Thursday Afternoon and Evening and the thunderstorm/severe weather potential over the Amateur Radio Field Day weekend period.
..Isolated to Scattered Strong to Severe thunderstorms are likely this Thursday Afternoon into early evening across interior Southern New England with the greatest threat over Western, Central and interior Northeast Massachusetts but all of interior Southern New England should monitor the potential. Strong to damaging winds, hail, frequent lightning and heavy downpours with urban and poor drainage flood potential are the main threats.
..The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has placed Massachusetts from the CT/RI border and Norfolk County north in a slight risk of severe weather with the rest of the region away from the south coast and the Cape and Islands in a marginal risk for severe weather for Thursday. Threat timeframe is between 2-9 PM this Thursday Afternoon and Evening..
..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 20 years for Amateur Radio Operators involved with Field Day and the NWS Boston/Norton SKYWARN Program. This message is combined with severe weather message for Thursday 6/20/24..
..There will be the continued threat for Isolated to Scattered Strong to Severe thunderstorms across all of the Field Day Weekend period. On Friday the greatest potential will be across Southwest and South-Central Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Saturday the potential could be in the same areas or expand across more of the northern parts of Southern New England depending on frontal position and Sunday may again be across much of Southern New England..
..Each day’s potential will have some dependency on the previous day’s activity and a front that will be near the region. Strong to damaging winds, hail, frequent lightning and heavy downpours leading to urban and poor drainage flooding are the main threats this weekend..
..At this time, not every Field Day site will see a shower, thunderstorm or severe weather and a widespread washout is not expected. Some Field Day sites could be dry all weekend but other Field Day sites could be quite wet depending on where showers and thunderstorms develop. This will be monitored throughout the weekend..
..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..
..Conditions will be warm and humid Friday through Sunday though not as hot as earlier this week particularly in areas of Eastern Massachusetts which will have less heat and humidity Friday and possibly into Saturday before becoming warm and humid again. Portions of Western Massachusetts, Northern Connecticut and Northern Rhode Island may continue to have heat similar to the previous days through Friday before conditions cool a bit over the weekend but remain warm and humid..
..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 Thursday Afternoon and Evening in interior Southern New England for the severe weather and flood potential and possible Friday through this weekend. SKYWARN Self-Activation will monitor conditions throughout Field Day weekend 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..

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/

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

For Thursday and the 2024 Amateur Radio Field Day weekend, there will be thunderstorm potential throughout the entire period particularly in the afternoon and evening. For Thursday, the thunderstorm and greatest severe weather potential is across interior Southern New England with areas north of the Mass Pike having the greatest potential. For Friday, the thunderstorm and greatest severe weather potential will be across Southwest and South-Central Massachusetts, Northern Connecticut and North-Central Rhode Island. For Saturday, the area could be similar to Friday or expand across more of Southern New England depending on frontal position and what occurs on Friday and finally Sunday could have potential across much of Southern New England. Here is a breakdown of potential hazards by each day:

Thursday Afternoon and Evening:
Expecting thunderstorm and severe weather potential similar to yesterday but maybe a bit more widespread and extending south to the Mass. Pike and potentially areas just south of the Mass Pike and east through more of Northeast Mass. Headlines depict the current thinking.

Friday Afternoon and Evening:
Expecting thunderstorm and severe weather potential similar to Thursday but shifted to Southwest and South-Central Massachusetts, Northern Connecticut and North-Central Rhode Island. Similar hazards to Thursday expected.

Saturday Afternoon and Evening:
This will depend on what occurs Friday and if the front that will be over the region separating warmer and more humid air from somewhat cooler air shifts northeast. If it shifts northeast much of Southern New England would have thunderstorm and severe weather potential. If it doesn’t shift much, a similar area to Friday will be impacted and this will be updated in future updates.

Sunday Afternoon and Evening:
This could be a day where much of Southern New England but will depend on prior day’s convection, cloud debris etc. and will be better known as we get to within a 48 hour window.

While not as hot as earlier in the week, it will still be warm and humid 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. Heat tips and safety guidelines are also included in this message.

SKYWARN Self-Activation with Amateur Radio Call-Up Nets are likely Thursday Afternoon and Evening in interior Southern New England for the severe weather and flood potential. SKYWARN Self-Activation will monitor conditions throughout Field Day weekend 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. Below are links to the NWS Boston/Norton Area Forecast Discussion, Hazardous Weather Outlook, Enhanced Hazardous Weather Outlook, SPC Day-1 and Day-2 Convective Outlooks:

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

SPC Day-2 Convective Outlook:
https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/archive/2024/day2otlk_20240620_0600.html

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 and will update with this year’s statements in a future coordination message. 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 10 AM Friday Morning. 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
https://www.wx1box.org
Like us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/wx1box
Follow us on Twitter – https://twitter.com/wx1box
Subscribe on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@wx1box-nwsboston-amateur-radio

Hello to all…

..An intense heat wave continues to affect much of the region away from the immediate coast through Thursday with the intense heat breaking in many areas except for portions of Western Massachusetts and all of Northern Connecticut on Friday though it will still be humid in areas where cooler conditions occur. From a heat perspective, this message is to get the word out on heat safety which is to drink plenty of liquids, take breaks if working outdoors and seek cooler places to avoid heat related illnesses..
..Isolated to Scattered Strong to Severe thunderstorm potential will increase starting Thursday with the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) placing Western Massachusetts in a slight risk for severe weather and much of the rest of Southern New England away from the coast in a marginal risk for severe weather. Strong to damaging winds, hail, frequent lightning and heavy downpours leading to urban and poor drainage flooding are the main threats. Timing will be during Thursday Afternoon through early Evening..
..A Heat Advisory is in effect through 7 PM Friday for Northern Connecticut, Hampshire, and Hampden Counties of Massachusetts for heat indices up to 100 expected..
..A Heat Advisory is in effect through 7 PM Thursday for Franklin, Worcester, Middlesex, Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, North-Central Bristol, North-Central Plymouth Counties of Massachusetts, Providence, Kent and Bristol Counties of Rhode Island for heat indices up to 101 expected..
..Areas outside of the heat advisories will still be warm and humid so taking additional heat precautions would be reasonable to take in these areas..
..Looking ahead, Amateur Radio Field Day weekend takes place Friday through Sunday of this week. At this time, it looks warm and humid but not as hot as during the week but there continues to be the potential for thunderstorms and an attendant lightning risk. Other specifics won’t be known until later this week. Amateur Radio Field Day weather/severe weather coordination messages will be started on Thursday and severe weather potential for Thursday will be covered as part of that message..
..SKYWARN Self-Activation with Amateur Radio Call-Up Nets are possible on Thursday Afternoon and Evening for the severe weather and flood potential. Pictures and videos of storm damage can be sent as a reply to this message, via the WX1BOX Facebook and Twitter feeds or via the email address pics@nsradio.org with credit given to the spotter unless otherwise indicated..

The headlines above depict the current thinking on the heat wave with an earlier ending on Friday for areas away from Northern Connecticut and Western Massachusetts. Heat Safety information is also included this message as the final link in the message.

Turning the attention to the severe weather potential for Thursday, much will depend on a back-door cold front and some cooling aloft to tap into high instability levels. Shear is not very strong but instability will be high and some cooling aloft from the backdoor cold front may allow for some isolated to scattered strong to severe thunderstorms. The greatest risk will be in the interior with northern and western Massachusetts and Northwest Connecticut at a somewhat higher risk. Heavy downpours and flooding may be a bit of a greater threat given the high humidity levels and that will also be monitored. More details on this severe weather potential will be posted either later Wednesday Evening or as part of the Amateur Radio Field Day weather coordination messages will start on Thursday.

SKYWARN Self-Activation with Amateur Radio Call-Up Nets are possible on Thursday Afternoon and Evening for the severe weather and flood potential. Pictures and videos of storm damage can be sent as a reply to this message, via the WX1BOX Facebook and Twitter feeds or via the email address pics@nsradio.org with credit given to the spotter unless otherwise indicated. The next coordination message on severe weather potential for Thursday will be posted either by 1130 PM Thursday Evening or be part of the Thursday Morning Amateur Radio Field Day Coordination Message posted by 11 AM Thursday Morning. Below is the NWS Boston/Norton Excessive Heat Advisory Statement, Enhanced Hazardous Weather Outlook, SPC Day-2 Convective Outlook and NWS Heat Safety Tips & Resources..

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

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-2 Convective Outlook:
https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/archive/2024/day2otlk_20240619_0600.html

NWS Heat Safety Tips & Resources:
https://www.weather.gov/safety/heat

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
https://ares.ema.arrl.org
https://www.wx1box.org
Like us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/wx1box
Follow us on Twitter – https://twitter.com/wx1box
Subscribe on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@wx1box-nwsboston-amateur-radio

Hello to all…

..An intense heat wave will affect the region away from the immediate coast Tuesday through Friday. We have experienced these types of heat waves before although this is a bit earlier than normal which makes it a bit more unusual. This message is to advise folks to take precautions against the heat while continuing to do outdoor activities etc. being mindful of the heat and to take breaks, drink plenty of liquids and to assure to cool down as needed to prevent heat related illnesses..
..A Heat Advisory is in effect from 12 PM to 7 PM Tuesday for heat indices up to 97 degrees and an Excessive Heat Watch remains in effect for Hartford, Tolland Counties of Connecticut, Eastern Franklin, Central Middlesex, Western Essex, Eastern Hampshire, Eastern Hampden, Western Norfolk and Southeast Middlesex Counties of Massachusetts from Wednesday Afternoon through Friday Evening for heat indices up to 105 possible..
..A Heat Advisory is in effect for Windham County Connecticut, Western Franklin, Worcester, Eastern Essex, Western Hampshire, Western Hampshire, Suffolk, Northern Middlesex, and Northwest Providence Counties of Rhode Island from 12 PM Tuesday through 7 PM Friday for heat indices up to 99 expected..
..A Heat Advisory is now in effect from 12 PM Wednesday Afternoon to Friday Evening 7 PM for North-Central Bristol, North-Central Plymouth Counties of Massachusetts, Southeast Providence, Kent and Bristol Counties of Rhode Island for heat indices up to 97 expected..
..Areas outside of the excessive heat watch and advisories will still be warm and humid so taking additional heat precautions would be reasonable to take in these areas..
..Looking ahead, Amateur Radio Field Day weekend takes place Friday through Sunday of this week. At this time, it looks warm and humid but not as hot as during the week but there continues to be the potential for thunderstorms and an attendant lightning risk. Other specifics won’t be known until later this week. Amateur Radio Field Day weather/severe weather coordination messages will be started on Thursday. An additional Heat Coordination Message will be posted if time allows either tonight and/or Wednesday Morning. Below is the NWS Boston/Norton Excessive Heat Watch/Heat Advisory Statement, Enhanced Hazardous Weather Outlook, Facebook post from NWS Boston/Norton on the heat wave expected for this week and Heat Safety Tips & Resources..

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

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

NWS Boston/Norton Facebook Graphics on Heat Wave:
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=785973580374307&set=pcb.785973697040962

NWS Heat Safety Tips & Resources:
https://www.weather.gov/safety/heat

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
https://ares.ema.arrl.org
https://www.wx1box.org
Like us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/wx1box
Follow us on Twitter – https://twitter.com/wx1box
Subscribe on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@wx1box-nwsboston-amateur-radio

Hello to all…

..An intense heat wave will affect the region away from the immediate coast Tuesday through Friday. We have experienced these types of heat waves before although this is a bit earlier than normal which makes it a bit more unusual. This message is to advise folks to take precautions against the heat while continuing to do outdoor activities etc. being mindful of the heat and to take breaks, drink plenty of liquids and to assure to cool down as needed to prevent heat related illnesses..
..An Excessive Heat Watch is in effect for Hartford, Tolland Counties of Connecticut, Eastern Franklin, Central Middlesex, Western Essex, Eastern Hampshire, Eastern Hampden, Western Norfolk and Southeast Middlesex Counties of Massachusetts from Tuesday Afternoon through Friday Evening for heat indices up to 106 possible..
..A Heat Advisory is in effect for Windham County Connecticut, Western Franklin, Worcester, Eastern Essex, Western Hampshire, Western Hampshire, Suffolk, North-Central Plymouth, Northern Middlesex, Providence, Kent and Bristol Counties of Rhode Island from 12 PM Tuesday through 7 PM Friday for heat indices up to 104 expected..
..Areas outside of the excessive heat watch and advisories will still be warm and humid so taking additional heat precautions would be reasonable to take in these areas..
..Looking ahead, Amateur Radio Field Day weekend takes place Friday through Sunday of this week. At this time, it looks warm and humid but not as hot as during the week but there is the potential for thunderstorms and an attendant lightning risk. Other specifics won’t be known until later this week. Amateur Radio Field Day weather/severe weather coordination messages will be started on Thursday. An additional Heat Coordination Message will be posted either tonight and/or Tuesday Morning. Below is the NWS Boston/Norton Excessive Heat Watch/Heat Advisory Statement, Enhanced Hazardous Weather Outlook and previous Facebook post from NWS Boston/Norton on the heat wave expected for this week..

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

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

NWS Boston/Norton Facebook Graphics on Heat Wave:
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=785348927103439&set=pcb.785350473769951

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
https://ares.ema.arrl.org
https://www.wx1box.org
Like us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/wx1box
Follow us on Twitter – https://twitter.com/wx1box
Subscribe on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@wx1box-nwsboston-amateur-radio

Hello to all…

..Isolated to Scattered Strong to Severe Thunderstorms remain likely particularly north and west of the I-95 corridor in Western, Central and interior Northeast Massachusetts, Northern Connecticut and Northwest Rhode Island as a cold front moves through the region Friday Afternoon and Evening. Strong to Damaging Winds, hail, heavy downpours leading to urban and poor drainage flooding and frequent lightning are the main threats..
..The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has placed Western, Central and interior Northeast Massachusetts, Northern Connecticut and Northwest Rhode Island in a slight risk for severe weather with a marginal risk for severe weather for the rest of Southern New England. Severe weather potential timeframe is 12 PM-9 PM Friday..
..SKYWARN Self-Activation with Amateur Radio Call-Up Nets are likely for the severe weather potential Friday Afternoon and Evening. Pictures of storm damage and flooding can be sent as a reply to this email, via our WX1BOX Facebook and Twitter feeds or to the email address pics@nsradio.org with credit given to the spotter unless otherwise indicated. The Hartford-Tolland County SKYWARN Net will activate on the 147.345 Vernon, CT Repeater for this event due to lack of Echolink/IRLP capability on the 146.790-Vernon, CT Repeater..

The first potential severe weather event for the month of June remains possible to likely particularly in interior Southern New England north and west of I-95. The headlines depict the current thinking. Key factors include:

1.) Timing of the cold front to take advantage of maximum instability
2.) Any cloud cover from any early shower activity. At 9 AM, there are clouds and showers in Eastern NY that will sweep through Southern New England through the morning hours. Satellite imagery shows clearing behind it and models indicate a second round of activity that could be stronger. This will depend on how quickly showers sweep through the area this morning and the amount of clearing behind it.
3.) Ability for heating and shear to overcome other unfavorable instability parameters though latest model runs have shown some of those unfavorable instability parameters for severe weather potential are now looking more favorable

SKYWARN Self-Activation with Amateur Radio Call-Up Nets are likely for the severe weather potential Friday Afternoon and Evening. Pictures of storm damage and flooding can be sent as a reply to this email, via our WX1BOX Facebook and Twitter feeds or to the email address pics@nsradio.org with credit given to the spotter unless otherwise indicated. The Hartford-Tolland County SKYWARN Net will activate on the 147.345 Vernon, CT Repeater for this event due to lack of Echolink/IRLP capability on the 146.790-Vernon, CT Repeater. This will be the last coordination message as we shift into operations mode. Below is the NWS Boston/Norton Area Forecast Discussion, Enhanced Hazardous Weather outlook and SPC Day-1 Convective 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

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

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
https://ares.ema.arrl.org
https://www.wx1box.org
Like us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/wx1box
Follow us on Twitter – https://twitter.com/wx1box
Subscribe on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@wx1box-nwsboston-amateur-radio

Hello to all…

..Isolated to Scattered Strong to Severe Thunderstorms are likely particularly north and west of the I-95 corridor in Western, Central and interior Northeast Massachusetts, Northern Connecticut and Northwest Rhode Island as a cold front moves through the region Friday Afternoon and Evening. Strong to Damaging Winds, heavy downpours leading to urban and poor drainage flooding and frequent lightning are the main threats with hail as a secondary threat..
..The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has placed Western, Central and interior Northeast Massachusetts, Northern Connecticut and Northwest Rhode Island in a slight risk for severe weather with a marginal risk for severe weather for the rest of Southern New England. Severe weather potential timeframe is 12 PM-9 PM Friday..
..SKYWARN Self-Activation with Amateur Radio Call-Up Nets are likely for the severe weather potential Friday Afternoon and Evening. Pictures of storm damage and flooding can be sent as a reply to this email, via our WX1BOX Facebook and Twitter feeds or to the email address pics@nsradio.org with credit given to the spotter unless otherwise indicated..

The first potential severe weather event for the month of June is possible to likely particularly in interior Southern New England north and west of I-95. The headlines depict the current thinking. Key factors include:

1.) Timing of the cold front to take advantage of maximum instability
2.) Any cloud cover from any early shower activity
3.) Ability for heating and shear to overcome other unfavorable instability parameters

SKYWARN Self-Activation with Amateur Radio Call-Up Nets are likely for the severe weather potential Friday Afternoon and Evening. Pictures of storm damage and flooding can be sent as a reply to this email, via our WX1BOX Facebook and Twitter feeds or to the email address pics@nsradio.org with credit given to the spotter unless otherwise indicated. The next coordination message will be posted by 1130 AM Friday Morning. Below is the NWS Boston/Norton Area Forecast Discussion, Enhanced Hazardous Weather outlook and SPC Day-2 Convective 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

SPC Day-2 Convective Outlook:
https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/archive/2024/day2otlk_20240613_1730.html

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503
Email Address: rmacedo@rcn.com
https://ares.ema.arrl.org
https://www.wx1box.org
Like us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/wx1box
Follow us on Twitter – https://twitter.com/wx1box
Subscribe on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@wx1box-nwsboston-amateur-radio

Hello to all..

We have reached the 13 year anniversary of a historic day in Southern New England Weather History. The June 1st, 2011 Massachusetts Tornado Outbreak will be a day long remembered in weather history. This announcement recaps the tornado outbreak and the lessons learned that apply today. This message is leveraged from prior anniversary messages with some updates.

The June 1st, 2011 event was forecasted by the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) in Norman Oklahoma as far as 5 days out. This is very rare for New England to be in a convective outlook past 3 days. The outlook of ‘Slight Risk’ for severe weather would continue right up through June 1st. As we got into June 1st, a fast moving area of rapidly developing severe thunderstorms ahead of the warm front affected portions of Southern New Hampshire and Northeast Massachusetts producing large hail. These storms quickly moved out of area and were a sign of things to come and how explosive the atmosphere was on June 1st. Abundant sunshine and rapid heating and destabilization coupled with extremely strong wind shear values, set the stage for a historic major severe weather outbreak in Massachusetts and other parts of New England. The Storm Prediction Center in Norman Oklahoma issued a Mesoscale Convective Discussion highlighting the need for Tornado Watches for much of New York and New England. The Tornado Watches would be issued and supercell severe thunderstorms would move into Southern New England.

Initially the supercells produced very large hail including hail slightly over 4″ in diameter in East Windsor Massachusetts, Berkshire County, which may potentially set the new record for the commonwealth as far as hail size but no tornadic or wind damage activity through 400 PM. This is when the supercell began to take shape in Western Hampden County Massachusetts and set the stage for the large, long track EF-3 Tornado that traversed the area from Westfield to Charlton Massachusetts for a 38-mile long damage path and was on the ground for 70 minutes. Three smaller tornadoes occurred in Western and Central Massachusetts from additional supercells moving through the area. Another area of supercells went through Northern Worcester County into Middlesex and Suffolk Counties producing Golf Ball Sized hail and pockets of wind damage all the way into the Metro Boston area.

June 1st, 2011 underscored how important Amateur Radio SKYWARN Spotters and non-Amateur Radio SKYWARN Spotters are to the warning process and how the timely severe weather reporting can not only help the warning process but can also help saves lives. The near real-time reporting of the large EF-3 tornado touchdown with initial preliminary reports in Westfield including from Al Giguere Jr.-KB1VNH, the actual spotting of the EF3 Tornado by several Amateurs including KB1NOX-Richard Stewart who was in a car with several other Amateurs, Western Massachusetts SKYWARN Coordinator, Ray-W1NWS, and the amazing remote webcam footage from WWLP-TV channel 22 in Springfield Massachusetts helped to tell people that not only was this a radar detected tornado but that it was definitely on the ground and doing significant damage. It is quite likely that many lives were saved by this near realtime reporting of the tornado being on the ground.

Amateur Radio SKYWARN Nets were active on several Amateur Radio Repeaters including the 146.940-Mount Tom Repeater run by the Mount Tom Amateur Radio Club and with Amateur Radio members and SKYWARN Spotters from the Hampden County Radio Association also reporting into the net. The 146.970-Paxton Repeater run by the Central Massachusetts Amateur Radio Club was active for several hours as well. Both repeaters providing significant near realtime reporting for situational awareness and disaster intelligence purposes not only to the National Weather Service but also to the media, local, state and federal emergency management officials. The Amateur Radio Internet Radio Linking Project (IRLP)/Echolink system on the echolink conference *NEW-ENG* node 9123/IRLP 9123 was also active with liaisons from various Amateur Radio nets reporting into the network. While not in the NWS Boston/Norton (formerly Taunton) Coverage Area, the 146.910-Mount Greylock Repeater was active with Berkshire County SKYWARN as run by Rick-WA1ZHM with Walt-N1DQU providing information from the net into NWS. Net Controls for the 146.940 Mount Tom Net were Bob Meneguzzo-K1YO and for the 146.970 Paxton Net, John Ruggiero-N2YHK. N9SC-Steve Craven provided a critical liaison link from the 146.970-Paxton Repeater Net to the 146.940-Mount Tom Net during the tornadic outbreak. Many Amateur Radio Operators and non-Amateur Radio SKYWARN Spotters reported severe weather conditions despite being at risk from these powerful supercells. We are forever grateful for the reporting that helped save lives. The outpouring of damage assessment pictures and videos and reports near and after the event was unprecedented. This clearly helped Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), local and state emergency management perform their duties to try and bring as many resources to bear on the significant path of destruction carved out by the tornado outbreak.

For the victims, today is likely a painful reminder of what occurred and what loses they faced in terms of property damage and possibly lives lost. Our thoughts and prayers remain to all those people that are affected and we hope that they have fully recovered and moved on with their lives after this tornado outbreak.

For those not impacted by such a significant event as June 1st and not impacted severely by other significant severe weather events that have occurred over the past decade, this is a reminder that we must all be prepared for these significant weather situations that occur at low frequency but can be with high impact. The more self-sufficient and prepared we are, the easier the situation will be if we are faced with such a significant scenario if it comes our way and potentially occurs in a more widespread way. For those SKYWARN Spotters and Amateur Radio Operators who have not witnessed such severe weather, this is why we train and prepare because we never know the hour or day where a critical severe weather report can help the warning process and save lives.

On a personal level, we never want severe weather like this to happen but if it has to happen, the level of commitment, support and reporting of the situation in near realtime on June 1st with a high level of precision and quality but also in the quantity that the reports came through in our network is a testament to all of you for remaining dedicated and supportive of the National Weather Service SKYWARN program. It is an honor and a privilege for myself and many of our Amateur Radio SKYWARN Coordinators across the NWS Boston/Norton Coverage Area to serve as leaders of the program and we appreciate everything you do, as without all of you, we wouldn’t have the SKYWARN program we have today in our region. Having been the leader of the program for over 28 years, this was our finest hour in supporting the NWS office and saving lives and it couldn’t have been done without all of your support.

Given the 13-year anniversary, here are some stories from SKYWARN Spotters, Amateur Radio Operators and others from this day as collected in the last few days leading up to this year’s anniversary and previous anniversaries:

Mike Rivers:
I chased that storm. Remember everything. Was a impressive weather day. Sad many lost a lot or all.

KB1MSJ-Bill Collins via WX1BOX Facebook Page:
I was in dispatch at MEMA that day constantly on the radios warning responders of the locations of these tornadoes.

Paul D Kaitz via WX1BOX Facebook Page:
I do remember this very well. Was working DCR fire control at the time.

Michelle Wright via WX1BOX Facebook Page:
A couple of family members were way too close to the tornado for comfort. I felt so helpless because I was unable to reach them to see if they were okay until two days later.

Steve Hooke – Norfolk County Task Force:
13 years ago today I responded to Brimfield with the Norfolk County Task Force to assist with search and rescue after the tornado hit. Only those who were there that night can really understand what we did and what we saw. The destruction was unimaginable. Those assigned to the task force that day have my ultimate respect.

Frank Cummings via the WX1BOX Facebook Page:
I visited a person in that area a few weeks after the storms. His house and property were essentially untouched. All that was left of his next door neighbor’s home was the foundation. and the devastation was widespread. The whole area looked like a game of Giant Pick Up Sticks – trees laying askew for as far as the eye could see and foundations left on lots stripped of almost vegetation. Terrible.

Gail Morrissey – Monson, MA – WX1BOX Twitter/Facebook Feed:
I live three houses down from a tilted one and was home when it hit. Not a fun experience. The upside down house, Judy and Doug’s, were up the street from me. I learned to be a weather spotter from you after this.

I was in Monson (still am) and was ‘in it.’ Lost my home and car in about 40 seconds. Crazy that I still remember every detail like it was yesterday.

Josh Adler – WX1BOX Twitter Feed:
Flew into these storms coming back from LAX to Logan. Single most turbulent flight I’ve ever been on. It was a wild ride!

Joe Sciacca – SKYWARN Spotter and Meteorologist for Precision Weather Forecasting, Inc.:
Here are my memories of June 1, 2011: I was a sophomore in high school at Austin Prep in Reading, MA. It was a Tuesday morning and I was on my way to school. Around 7:30 am I looked to the west and I saw huge overshooting cloud tops. I told my mom that today was going to be a dangerous severe weather day in Southern New England. Checking the radar before school started around 8, I saw a powerful line of thunderstorms in western New England moving east with hail reports. Little that I knew, that the hail was up to 4 inches in diameter. In my younger forecasting days, I had limited model data but the data that I had at the time indicated to me that this was going to be unusual setup. I saw alot of shear, a well mixed boundary layer, and high severe weather parameters. Around 10am or so, the line of thunderstorms moved into the Reading area and there was loud thunder and heavy rain. I checked the radar and satellite and saw clearing coming in from the west. When I saw the clearing sky, I upped my tornado threat to a 8/10 for central Southern New England. I told the kids in my class that a tornado will likely happen today in Western MA. They laughed and said “tornadoes don’t happen here”. As the afternoon went on, about 1 pm in my last class of the day I checked on the weather conditions in the region and I saw a tornado watch issued to our west I think in NY state. We had a entire afternoon of strong heating and destabilization of the atmosphere. Once school let out around 2 and on my way home closer to 3, I looked out to the west, and I saw massive cloud tops that I think were near 80 or so miles to my west from I-93 in Reading, MA. Once I got home, I tuned on the TV and then closer to 4, the tornado warnings started in western MA and it was several hours of live tornadoes on local TV stations like WHDH 7, NECN, WBZ, WCVB. At one point the EAS came on TV. That was insane for me who at the time was 16. It was impossible for me to do my homework that afternoon because of the severe weather and the excitement that I had of watching the TV meteorologist handle what was becoming a historic weather event locally. By time 10pm came, I remember the storms approached into Boston with a severe thundershower if I remember correctly. At this time I had to call it a day since I had school the next day.

Bob Yates – SKYWARN Spotter (Provided an additional photo from Brimfield from 6/1/11):
I volunteered for a few days delivering sandwiches and water from the church just after roads were cleared-

Eric Mikal Birkeland – SKYWARN Spotter:
The damage scar can still be seen by satellite after it snows.

Billy Doyle – SKYWARN Spotter:
I remember very well I was at Cracker Barrel in Sturbridge and a monson on call fire fighter was eating and his pager went off

Jeff Aborn – SKYWARN and Co-Op Observer – Provided Photos from the tornado path on the WX1BOX Tornado feed:
On the afternoon of June 1, 2011 an EF-3 tornado traveled 38 miles through parts of western & central Massachusetts. It caused damage in W Springfield, Monson, Brimfield, and Southbridge. Three lives were taken by the storm and 200 injuries. Jeff–Staffordville

We hope this remembrance makes people never forget what happened on June 1st 2011 and remind ourselves again that we must remain, prepared and vigilant especially here in New England where events such as June 1st can happen but on a low frequency basis. A June 1st 2011 video collage has been posted at our WX1BOX Video Youtube Channel with the direct link listed below as well as a June 1st 2011 tornado timeline video by SKYWARN Spotter Dan Butler. Also listed below is the NWS Massachusetts Tornado Summary, the NWS June 1st, 2011 Facebook Graphic, the ARRL Story on the June 1st Tornado Outbreak, the NWS Taunton June 1st Local Storm Report and the Raw Storm log from the WX1BOX Amateur Radio Station.

Amateur Radio SKYWARN Video – June 1st, 2011:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dBRGRQx9bI

Dan Butler SKYWARN Spotter – June 1st, 2011 – Springfield Massachusetts Tornado – Warning: Please note light profanity in this video as there are livewitness videos as part of the timeline:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yvp7NGsxruE

NWS Boston/Norton June 1st, 2011 Facebook Graphics:
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=326947176276952&set=a.237876368517367
https://wx1box.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/June-1st-2011-Massachusetts-Tornado-Outbreak_2022_infographic.jpg

NWS Boston/Norton Local Storm Reports 6/1/11:
https://wx1box.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/lsr_6_1_11.txt

NWS Boston/Norton Public Information Statement – Tornado Classifications from 6/1/11:
https://wx1box.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/PNS_Jun_1_2011_BOX_TOR.pdf

ARRL Story from 6/1/11 – Central Massachusetts Experiences Rare Tornado, Area Hams Hasten to Help:
https://www.arrl.org/news/central-massachusetts-experiences-rare-tornado-area-hams-hasten-to-help

NWS Boston/Norton-WX1BOX Raw Amateur Radio Storm Log:
https://wx1box.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/storm_reports.txt

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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