Elkhorn, Wisconsin

... Skywarn recognition day coming up...

The National Weather Service /NWS/ will be recognizing the Skywarn
program with its annual 24-hour Skywarn recognition day /srd/ event
that GOES from 6 PM Friday December 4 2009 through 6 PM Saturday
December 5th.

Skywarn is a concept developed in the early 1970s that was intended
to promote a cooperative effort between the National Weather Service
and communities.

The emphasis of the Skywarn effort is often focused on the storm
spotter... an individual who takes a position near their community
and reports wind gusts..hail size... rainfall... and cloud formations
that could signal a developing severe storm or tornado.

Another part of Skywarn is the receipt and effective distribution of
National Weather Service information.

During the srd event... several amateur radio operators /hams/ will
report to the Milwaukee/Sullivan NWS office and see how many
contacts they can make with other hams at other NWS offices across
the country... as well as across the world.

Skywarn recognition day was developed in 1999 by the NWS and the
American radio relay league /arrl/. Information on srd can be found
on this web Page...
http://www.Arrl.Org/news/stories/2009/11/17/11199/?Nc=1
/all lower case/

The Milwaukee/Sullivan NWS forecast office will participate in the
2009 Skywarn recognition day event.

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Were you thinking of being a specialized volunteer in the NWS severe
weather program.

The National Weather Service/S /NWS/ main mission is to issue
forecasts and warnings for the general public for the protection of
life and property... as well as to enhance this nation's Economy.

In order to fulfill its mission... the NWS needs severe weather
spotters to provide ground-truth and cloud-base information that
verifies what local WSR-88D Doppler radar imagery indicates.
Additionally... pre-warning spotter information increases the
accuracy of meteorologists during warning situations.

Severe weather spotters come from all walks of life... first
responders... sales reps... doctors... mechanics... lawyers... law
enforcement officials... teachers... electricians... engineers...
machinists... factory workers... public works departments... etc.

All age groups are represented - from the teenager to grandparents.
All spotters are an essential part of the NWS/S Skywarn program.
Each Spring... each NWS office conducts free severe weather spotter
classes in their County Warning Area.

One specialized group of severe weather spotters consists of amateur
radio operators /hams/. Hams are specialized volunteers since they
tend to have more knowledge about radios and other communication
devices than most people. Have you thought about becoming an amateur
radio operator. Yes..potential hams still have to pass a written
test to obtain their technician license... but they no longer have to
take a Morse code test.

When the NWS issues tornado or severe thunderstorm watches... one or
two hams usually report to the local NWS office to assist in
gathering severe weather reports from other hams... and in some
cases... from other spotters. Would you be interested.

Do you like to work with other people who enjoy volunteering in the
spirit of public safety. Do you like to meet and work with other
people who have knowledge about not only radios... but computers and
other communication devices. Consider joining US as a volunteer
amateur radio operator.

For additional information about amateur radio operators... go to
this web site: http://www.Sulcom.Info/ /all lower case/
... Or... contact Tom kucharski at tjkuch@execpc.Com, or rusty kapela
at rusty.Kapela@noaa.Gov.

For information about severe weather spotting activities... go to our
Skywarn web Page by going to this web Page...
http://www.Crh.NOAA.Gov/mkx/?N=spotters /all lower case/