NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards is a network of
radio stationRadio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
s broadcasting continuous weather information directly from a nearby
National Weather ServiceThe National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
(NWS) office. It is operated by the NWS, an agency of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationThe National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , pronounced , like "noah", is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere...
(NOAA) within the
United States Department of CommerceThe United States Department of Commerce is the Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with promoting economic growth. It was originally created as the United States Department of Commerce and Labor on February 14, 1903...
. NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts National Weather Service warnings, watches, forecasts and other hazard information 24 hours a day. It also broadcasts alerts of non-weather emergencies such as national security, natural, environmental, and public safety (see:
AMBER AlertAn AMBER Alert or a Child Abduction Emergency is a child abduction alert bulletin in several countries throughout the world, issued upon the suspected abduction of a child, since 1996...
) through the
Federal Communications CommissionThe Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
's (FCC)
Emergency Alert SystemThe Emergency Alert System is a national warning system in the United States put into place on January 1, 1997, when it superseded the Emergency Broadcast System , which itself had superseded the CONELRAD System...
.
Operations
Known as the
Voice of NOAA's National Weather Service, NWR is provided as a public service by the NOAA. As of mid-2009, NWR has more than 1000
transmitterIn electronics and telecommunications a transmitter or radio transmitter is an electronic device which, with the aid of an antenna, produces radio waves. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which is applied to the antenna. When excited by this alternating...
s serving 95% of the United States' population, covering all 50 U.S. states, adjacent coastal waters,
Puerto RicoPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, the U.S. Virgin Islands,
GuamGuam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
,
American SamoaAmerican Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
and
SaipanSaipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
. NWR requires a special radio receiver or scanner capable of receiving the signal.
The
radioRadio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
service transmits weather warnings and forecasts 24 hours a day. In addition to weather information, NWR works in cooperation with the FCC's Emergency Alert System, providing comprehensive weather and emergency information. In conjunction with federal, state, and local emergency managers and other public officials, NWR also broadcasts warning and post-event information for all types of hazards, including natural (such as earthquakes or avalanches), environmental (such as chemical releases or oil spills), and public safety (such as
AMBER alertAn AMBER Alert or a Child Abduction Emergency is a child abduction alert bulletin in several countries throughout the world, issued upon the suspected abduction of a child, since 1996...
s or 911 Telephone outages).
Many
television stationA television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
s which have the capability (both commercial and public) will also air their local feed of NWR on their
second audio programSecond audio program , also known as secondary audio programming, is an auxiliary audio channel for analog television that can be broadcast or transmitted both over the air and by cable TV.-Usage:...
channel if they aren't carrying a program which features either a
Spanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
translation or a
Descriptive Video ServiceThe Descriptive Video Service is a major United States producer of video description, which makes visual media, such as television programs, feature films, and home videos, more accessible to people who are blind or otherwise visually impaired...
track for the visually impaired. Some
digital subchannelIn broadcasting, digital subchannels are a means to transmit more than one independent program at the same time from the same digital radio or digital television station on the same radio frequency channel. This is done by using data compression techniques to reduce the size of each individual...
s which carry weather information may also have NWR airing in the background, while regular television stations carry the audio during times they are
off-the-airIn telecommunication, the term off-air or off-the-air has the following meanings:# In radio communications systems, pertaining to a radio station or television station that is completely shut down, i.e. that is not transmitting any signal, not even an un-modulated carrier wave...
and transmitting a
test patternTest Pattern may refer to:* Test Pattern , a Canadian game show* Test Pattern , an album by Sonia Dada* Test pattern or test card, a television test signal...
, in lieu of a
reference toneA reference tone is a pure tone corresponding to a known frequency, and produced at a stable sound pressure level , usually by specialized equipment.-In media:The most common reference tone in audio engineering is a at 0dB...
. Most cable systems and some television stations also simulcast a local NOAA Weather Radio station's programming when the
Emergency Alert SystemThe Emergency Alert System is a national warning system in the United States put into place on January 1, 1997, when it superseded the Emergency Broadcast System , which itself had superseded the CONELRAD System...
is activated in the event of a severe weather or civil defense emergency, normally with the issuance of a
tornado warningA tornado warning is an alert issued by government weather services to warn that severe thunderstorms with tornadoes may be imminent. It can be issued after a tornado or funnel cloud has been spotted by eye, or more commonly if there are radar indications of tornado formation...
or
tornado emergencyA Tornado Emergency is enhanced wording of tornado warnings used by the National Weather Service in the United States during significant tornado occurrences in highly populated areas...
, especially in tornado-prone areas of the country.
Most stations broadcast on a special
VHFVery high frequency is the radio frequency range from 30 MHz to 300 MHz. Frequencies immediately below VHF are denoted High frequency , and the next higher frequencies are known as Ultra high frequency...
frequencyFrequency is the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit time. It is also referred to as temporal frequency.The period is the duration of one cycle in a repeating event, so the period is the reciprocal of the frequency...
band at 162 MHz, which has seven
FMIn telecommunications and signal processing, frequency modulation conveys information over a carrier wave by varying its instantaneous frequency. This contrasts with amplitude modulation, in which the amplitude of the carrier is varied while its frequency remains constant...
channelsIn telecommunications and computer networking, a communication channel, or channel, refers either to a physical transmission medium such as a wire, or to a logical connection over a multiplexed medium such as a radio channel...
reserved to weather radio broadcasts. The original frequency was 162.550, with 162.400 and 162.475 being added later. In recent years, the proliferation of stations meant to make sure everyone has access to warnings has pushed that number to seven, now including the "intermediate" channels of 162.425, 162.450, 162.500, and 162.525 MHz. These channels (often numbered in that order) are receivable on special weather radio
receiversA radio receiver converts signals from a radio antenna to a usable form. It uses electronic filters to separate a wanted radio frequency signal from all other signals, the electronic amplifier increases the level suitable for further processing, and finally recovers the desired information through...
, available online and at most retail stores, are also found on most
marine VHF radioMarine VHF radio is installed on all large ships and most seagoing small craft. It is used for a wide variety of purposes, including summoning rescue services and communicating with harbours, locks, bridges and marinas, and operates in the VHF frequency range, between 156 to 174 MHz...
transceiverA transceiver is a device comprising both a transmitter and a receiver which are combined and share common circuitry or a single housing. When no circuitry is common between transmit and receive functions, the device is a transmitter-receiver. The term originated in the early 1920s...
s,
amateur radioAmateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
s, and
digital scannersA scanner is a radio receiver that can automatically tune, or scan, two or more discrete frequencies, stopping when it finds a signal on one of them and then continuing to scan other frequencies when the initial transmission ceases....
. These "weather radios" are available for prices ranging from US$20 and up. In addition, many consumer electronics, such as two-way radios and CB radios, are now being sold with the ability to receive weather radio broadcasts. With the
American digital television transitionThe DTV transition in the United States was the switchover from analog to exclusively digital broadcasting of free over-the-air television programming...
making most existing portable televisions obsolete and unusable and the current infant and development stage of mobile digital television, along with the need to provide a public service to their viewers and encourage the use of the system, many American television station weather operations cooperate with radio manufacturers and local retail outlets to offer weather radios at discounted pricing to viewers (especially in active tornado areas), where the service is often marketed as an essential warning device on par with a
smoke detectorA smoke detector is a device that detects smoke, typically as an indicator of fire. Commercial, industrial, and mass residential devices issue a signal to a fire alarm system, while household detectors, known as smoke alarms, generally issue a local audible and/or visual alarm from the detector...
for home fires.
There are two different channel numbering systems used by various weather radio manufacturers. The first is the chronological sequence that the radio frequencies were allocated to the service: 1=162.550, 2=162.400, 3=162.475, 4=162.425, 5=162.450, 6=162.500, 7=162.525. The second is in simple increasing radio frequency sequence: 1=162.400, 2=162.425, 3=162.450, 4=162.475, 5=162.500, 6=162.525, 7=162.550. In addition, it may be possible to receive weather broadcasts on more than one of the seven channels at a given location. The NWS suggests that users determine which frequency (as opposed to channel) is intended for their specific location so that they are assured of receiving correct information.
Alerting
When a weather warning is issued for the area which a station covers, certain weather radios are designed to turn on or sound an alarm upon detection of a 1050 Hz
tonePitch is an auditory perceptual property that allows the ordering of sounds on a frequency-related scale.Pitches are compared as "higher" and "lower" in the sense associated with musical melodies,...
, issued for ten
secondThe second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock....
s immediately before the warning message. The specification calls for the NWS transmitter to send the 1050 Hz tone for 10 seconds, and the receiver to react to it within 5 seconds (any extra tone time over and above the reaction time is considered as part of the alerting mechanism). This system simply turns on the audio of every muted receiver within the radio horizon of the transmitter (i.e. any receiver within the transmitter's "footprint"). Additional external devices such as a
strobe lightA strobe light or stroboscopic lamp, commonly called a strobe, is a device used to produce regular flashes of light. It is one of a number of devices that can be used as a stroboscope...
which attaches via an accessory port are also available to provide a more immediate and visible warning.
Newer radios can instead detect a
digitalA digital system is a data technology that uses discrete values. By contrast, non-digital systems use a continuous range of values to represent information...
-over-
audioBroadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
protocolA communications protocol is a system of digital message formats and rules for exchanging those messages in or between computing systems and in telecommunications...
called
Specific Area Message EncodingSpecific Area Message Encoding or SAME is the protocol used to encode the Emergency Alert System and NOAA Weather Radio's SAME Public Warning System in the U.S...
or SAME, which allows the users to program their radios for specific geographical areas of interest and concern, rather than for an entire regional broadcast area. The newer radios also have lit LEDs which indicate whether the message sent out is a warning, advisory or watch in the same color pattern as a
traffic lightTraffic lights, which may also be known as stoplights, traffic lamps, traffic signals, signal lights, robots or semaphore, are signalling devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings and other locations to control competing flows of traffic...
, mainly both to give quick reference for those who may not have time to hear the whole alert, and to give those who are
hearing impaired-Definition:Deafness is the inability for the ear to interpret certain or all frequencies of sound.-Environmental Situations:Deafness can be caused by environmental situations such as noise, trauma, or other ear defections...
some way to be alerted to the oncoming event. The SAME code is broadcast, followed by the 1050 Hz tone. This has the advantage of eliminating the numerous "false alarms" for the 1050 Hz weather alerts that may apply to an area 100 or 150 miles (241.4 km) distant. The SAME codes are mostly aligned along county lines using the standard US Government
FIPS county codeThe FIPS county code is a five-digit Federal Information Processing Standard code which uniquely identifies counties and county equivalents in the United States, certain U.S. possessions, and certain freely associated states. The first two digits are the FIPS state code and the last three are...
s. Most modern SAME equipped radios can be programmed to receive alerts for more than one FIPS code if the user is located along a county boundary.
Once the SAME receivers are programmed they will limit alarms to only certain warnings, and only to the actual section of the
broadcastBroadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
area which the listener is located prior to the broadcast of the 1050 Hz tone. Some receivers allow you to program in several codes so you can include the areas surrounding your location. For example, if an area has frequent storm warnings, and the storms usually come from the east, a receiver can be programmed with the code for its own area, plus the code for the area to the east. (This notification system was later adopted by the
Emergency Alert SystemThe Emergency Alert System is a national warning system in the United States put into place on January 1, 1997, when it superseded the Emergency Broadcast System , which itself had superseded the CONELRAD System...
—the replacement for the earlier
Emergency Broadcast SystemThe Emergency Broadcast System was an emergency warning system in the United States, used from 1963 to 1997, when it was replaced by the Emergency Alert System.-Purpose:...
and even earlier
CONELRADCONELRAD was a method of emergency broadcasting to the public of the United States in the event of enemy attack during the Cold War. It was intended to serve two purposes; to prevent Soviet bombers from homing in on American cities by using radio or TV stations as beacons, and to provide...
now required by the
FCCThe Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
for broadcast stations.)
In September 2008,
WalgreensWalgreen Co. , doing business as Walgreens , is the largest drugstore chain in the United States of America. As of August 31st, the company operates 8,210 locations across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1901, and has since expanded...
announced that it would utilize the SAME/NOAA system to deliver local weather alerts via their system of
LEDA light-emitting diode is a semiconductor light source. LEDs are used as indicator lamps in many devices and are increasingly used for other lighting...
billboardBillboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s located outside of the drugstore chain's locations built or remodeled since 2000 to provide an additional avenue of weather information. Many national billboard companies (i.e.
CBS OutdoorCBS Outdoor is the outdoor advertising division of media conglomerate CBS Corporation. It is the third largest outdoor media owner in revenue terms...
,
Clear Channel OutdoorClear Channel Outdoor , is a company controlled by Clear Channel Communications and is one of the world's largest outdoor advertising corporations. The company is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona and has operations in six of the seven continents....
,
LamarThe Lamar Advertising Company , based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is a provider of billboards, transit advertising, and highway logo signs. Founded in 1902, Lamar currently operates over 150 outdoor advertising companies in more than 40 states and Puerto Rico...
, etc.) also use their color LED billboard networks to display weather warnings to drivers, while state-owned freeway notification boards, which utilize the EAS/NOAA infrastructure for
Amber AlertAn AMBER Alert or a Child Abduction Emergency is a child abduction alert bulletin in several countries throughout the world, issued upon the suspected abduction of a child, since 1996...
warnings, also display weather warnings.
NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards Programming
Routine Forecast Products
The NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards network has a multi-tier concept for forecasting or alerting the public to all types of weather. Actual products vary by the area that the transmitter serves. The main public forecast products typically played during the day's program cycle are:
Hourly Observations
A typical hourly observation report updated twice hourly at the top of the hour and at eleven minutes past the hour heard over NOAA Weather Radio stations features the following:
- A complete detail of the current sky condition, temperature, dew point, humidity, wind speed/direction and barometric pressure for the main reporting station in that station's city of license.
- Example from KWN-41 Shubert, Nebraska: "At 8 AM in Falls City
Falls City is a city in Richardson County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 4,671 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Richardson County.-Geography:Falls City is located at ....
, it was sunny. The temperature was 60 degrees, the dewpoint 59, and the relative humidity 97%. The wind was west at 6 miles (9.7 km) an hour. The pressure was 30 inches (762 mm) and steady."
If the main reporting station's information is unavailable, the nearest reporting station to that area is played first instead, in which case that weather station's observations will not be repeated at the end of the observation product. In some locales, in the event the main reporting weather station or a weather station located 50-75 miles of the Weather Forecast Office and main reporting station had missing data, or no data available, the following message would thus be played (example from KWO-37 Los Angeles):
"The report from Downtown Los Angeles was not available".
- Details on the sky condition, temperature and wind speed/direction (sometimes including information on dew point, humidity and pressure) within 50–75 mi (80.5–120.7 km) of the Weather Forecast Office and main reporting station.
- Example from KWN-41: "Across eastern Nebraska, southwest Iowa, and northwest Missouri, skies ranged from sunny to mostly sunny. It was 60 at Beatrice
Beatrice is a city in and the county seat of Gage County, Nebraska.Beatrice is located south of Lincoln on the Big Blue River. It is surrounded by agricultural country. The population was 12,459 at the 2010 census.-History:...
, 59 at LincolnThe City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
, 59 at Nebraska CityNebraska City is a city in Otoe County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 7,228 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Otoe County...
, 57 at OmahaOmaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
, 59 at Red Oak-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 5,742 in the city, with a population density of . There were 2,887 housing units, of which 2,406 were occupied....
, and 62 at St. Joseph."
Some cities may round up only sky conditions if temperatures in all reporting stations were within 5 degrees of each other. An example: "skies ranged from sunny to mostly sunny, and temperatures were between 57 and 62 degrees".
- Information on sky condition and temperature (and on certain stations, including wind speed/direction) within 250 miles (402.3 km) of the WFO area of responsibility.
- Example from KWN-41: "Here are some observations from around the region. Fog was reported with a temperature of 60 at Concordia, Kansas
Concordia is a city in and the county seat of Cloud County, Kansas, United States. Located on the Republican River in the Smoky Hills region of the Great Plains, Concordia was founded in 1871 and is an economic and cultural center in north-central Kansas...
, 57 at Grand IslandGrand Island is a city in and the county seat of Hall County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 48,520 at the 2010 census.Grand Island is home to the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center which is the sole agency responsible for training law enforcement officers throughout the state,...
, and 62 at Manhattan, KansasManhattan is a city located in the northeastern part of the state of Kansas in the United States, at the junction of the Kansas River and Big Blue River. It is the county seat of Riley County and the city extends into Pottawatomie County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 52,281...
. Haze was reported with a temperature of 63 at TopekaTopeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
, and 61 at Kansas CityKansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. It was partly sunny with a temperature of 56 at Des MoinesDes Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
, and 50 at Sioux FallsSioux Falls is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota. Sioux Falls is the county seat of Minnehaha County, and also extends into Lincoln County to the south...
."
In some areas, a major city would always provide weather conditions; if unavailable, the message "the weather conditions were not available" would precede the city.
(Note: Occasionally, the previous hour's observations may last as long as 15 minutes into the next hour, which in most cases when this occurs, the product may not be played at all after 15 minutes and will not play until the information is updated.)
Hazardous Weather Outlook
A Hazardous Weather Outlook is issued daily (usually twice a day at 7AM and Noon) addressing potentially hazardous weather or hydrologic events that may occur in the next seven days. The outlook will include information about potential severe thunderstorms, heavy rain or flooding, winter weather, extremes of heat or cold, etc. It is intended to provide information to those who need considerable lead time to prepare for the event, along with a call for action for trained
weather spotterA weather spotter is any individual who observes weather for the purpose of reporting his or her observations to a larger weather group or organization. Examples include National Weather service co-op observers and Skywarn storm spotters.-Storm spotters:...
s to be prepared to report their local weather conditions and/or damage reports back to the local NWS office. Other outlooks are issued on an event-driven basis, such as the Flood Potential Outlook and Severe Weather Outlook. Occasionally, the NWS WFO may update the Hazardous Weather Outlook while an event is ongoing or if forecast models denote changes from previous forecasts.
Sample HWOs
Here is a sample from the National Weather Service in North Little Rock, AR:
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
445 AM CST THU FEB 24 2011
ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-251045-
ARKANSAS-BAXTER-BOONE-BRADLEY-CALHOUN-CLARK-CLEBURNE-CLEVELAND-
CONWAY-DALLAS-DESHA-DREW-FAULKNER-FULTON-GARLAND-GRANT-HOT SPRING-
INDEPENDENCE-IZARD-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-JOHNSON-LINCOLN-LOGAN-LONOKE-
MARION-MONROE-MONTGOMERY-NEWTON-OUACHITA-PERRY-PIKE-POLK-POPE-
PRAIRIE-PULASKI-SALINE-SCOTT-SEARCY-SHARP-STONE-VAN BUREN-WHITE-
WOODRUFF-YELL-
445 AM CST THU FEB 24 2011
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR A LARGE PART OF ARKANSAS.
.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY ACROSS MUCH OF ARKANSAS TODAY.
A STORM SYSTEM WILL APPROACH ARKANSAS FROM THE WEST...BRINGING
NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO THE STATE AS IT MOVES
THROUGH. SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE MOST LIKELY ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND
SOUTHERN PARTS OF THE STATE...ROUGHLY SOUTH AND EAST OF LOCATIONS
SUCH AS MENA...MORRILTON AND NEWPORT. TEMPERATURES WILL WARM WELL
INTO THE 60S AND 70S IN THESE AREAS...CREATING AN UNSTABLE AIR
MASS. FARTHER NORTH CLOUDS AND MORE WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION WILL
LIMIT WARMING AND INSTABILITY. WHILE CHANCES OF SEVERE STORMS WILL
BE LESS IN THE NORTH...THUNDERSTORMS WILL STILL BE PRESENT THERE.
WINDS FROM JUST ABOVE THE SURFACE THROUGH THE MID LEVELS OF THE
ATMOSPHERE WILL BE QUITE STRONG WITH THIS SYSTEM. THERE IS ENOUGH
CHANGE IN BOTH WIND SPEED...AND WIND DIRECTION WITH HEIGHT TO
SUPPORT MULTIPLE TYPES OF SEVERE WEATHER TODAY. DAMAGING
WINDS...TORNADOES AND LARGE HAIL WILL ALL BE POSSIBLE.
IN ADDITION TO THE SEVERE STORMS...HEAVY RAINS WILL ALSO BE
POSSIBLE. AREAS IN NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST ARKANSAS RECEIVED
UPWARDS OF TWO INCHES OF RAIN OVERNIGHT. MORE HEAVY RAIN WILL BE
POSSIBLE TODAY AS STORMS MOVE THROUGH THE AREA...WITH THE GREATEST
AMOUNTS EXPECTED IN THE NORTH.
WITH REGARD TO TIMING...STORMS SHOULD MOVE FROM TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA
INTO WESTERN ARKANSAS BETWEEN NOON AND 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON. STORMS
WILL MOVE TOWARD CENTRAL ARKANSAS BETWEEN 3 PM AND 6 PM...MAKING
IT INTO THE EAST BETWEEN 6 PM AND 9 PM.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY
FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING WILL BE CALM AS HIGH PRESSURE
DOMINATES THE WEATHER IN ARKANSAS.
HOWEVER...LATE SUNDAY WILL BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF SEVERE WEATHER
AS ANOTHER STRONG SYSTEM APPROACHES FROM THE SOUTHWEST.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NECESSARY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING
ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA.
&&
VISIT NWS LITTLE ROCK ON THE WEB. GO TO HTTP://WEATHER.GOV AND
CLICK ON CENTRAL ARKANSAS.
$$
Source:
Zone Forecast Product (ZFP)
Text product issued by all WFOs to explicitly state expected weather conditions within each zone in their area of forecast responsibility through day seven. The product describes the expected sky condition (along with the chance of precipitation and precipitation type if liquid and/or frozen precipitation is forecast), the temperature range for the county zone (typically written out as for example: "Lows in the lower 50s", though sometimes if temperatures in the county zone are forecast to be around a specific temperature it may be written as "Low around 55") and the forecast winds; the wind forecast only appears within the first 72 hours of the seven-day period in the product. For many federal holidays such as
Memorial DayMemorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
and
Independence DayIndependence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
, those days are denoted and sounded out within the forecast itself instead of the day of the week. If forecasted high and/or low temperatures are predicted to be within less than a 10 degree range and/or weather conditions are forecast to have little change over some or all of the final 5 days of the forecast period, the conditions may be rounded up, for example: "Tuesday through Friday: Partly cloudy, lows in the lower 70s and highs in the upper 90s".
Regional Weather Synopsis
Also known as the
Regional Weather Summary, this product gives a brief recap of weather events from yesterday or today within the region, then gives listeners a glimpse on what is expected from the current time to the next few days. This product is shown and updated twice daily: first in the late morning hours and again in the late evening hours.
Sample RWS
What follows is a sample from the National Weather Service office in
Fort WorthFort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
/Dallas,
TexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
NORTH TEXAS WEATHER SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
1050 AM CDT FRI APR 02 2010
SKIES WERE OVERCAST ACROSS NORTH TEXAS EARLY THIS MORNING AS A COLD
FRONT BOUNDARY BEGAN TO APPROACH THE REGION FROM THE WEST. A LINE OF
STORMS DEVELOPED ALONG THIS BOUNDARY THROUGHOUT THE MORNING.
TEMPERATURES JUST BEFORE DAYBREAK WERE IN THE UPPER 60S AHEAD OF THE
FRONT AND THE UPPER 50S BEHIND THE FRONT. WINDS WERE GENERLLY FROM
THE SOUTH AT 10 TO 20 MPH SWITCHING TO THE WEST BEHIND THE FRONT. BY
LATE MORNING...THE LINE OF STORMS ARE LOCATED ALONG A SHERMAN... TO
FORT WORTH...TO HAMILTON LINE. THE MAIN THREAT EXPECTED FROM THESE
STORMS IS LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.
AFTERNOON HIGHS ARE EXPECTED TO BE IN THE UPPER 70S THROUGHOUT NORTH
TEXAS. RAIN CHANCES WILL DECREASE EASTWARD AS THE BOUNDARY EXITS THE
REGION THIS EVENING. SKIES ARE EXPECTED TO CLEAR OVERNIGHT WITH LOW
TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 40S ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. THE WEEKEND
WILL BE PLEASANT AND WARM WITH MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES AND TEMPERATURES
NEAR 80.
Daily Climate Summary
This is a general information product comprising three separate products:
- Area Climate Summary - Generally made available from 5-9 a.m. and mainly available in stations in significant cities in the WFO area of responsibility. In some areas, this product is played on 15 minute intervals, while most areas show this product with each product cycle. The product includes information on the previous day's recorded minimum and maximum temperatures and the previous and present day's 30-year average minimum and maximum temperatures and record minimum and maximum temperatures, the previous day's recorded precipitation and monthly and annual total precipitation in comparison to the 30-year average monthly and annual precipitation as well as information on heating and/or cooling degree days. In some areas, the sunrise and sunset times for the next two days are displayed in this product, whereas in other areas, the sunrise and sunset times are on a separate product that is aired twice daily in the early-mid morning and early evening hours.
- Regional Climate Summary - Generally made available from the mid-morning hours to early afternoon featuring actual high and low temperature and precipitation information for regional sections of the WFO displaying information for the 24 hour period starting at 7 a.m. the previous day.
- Afternoon Climate Summary - Generally made available from 4-10 p.m. and updated throughout the period. The product includes information on the day's recorded minimum and maximum temperatures and recorded precipitation. Some WFOs station groups also feature in this product: the day's 30-year average minimum and maximum temperatures, record minimum and maximum temperatures and monthly and annual total precipitation in comparison to the 30-year average monthly and annual precipitation. This product is subject to updates during the period it is carried if the actual high or low temperature changes from the previously recorded high or low or if the main reporting station reports or continues to report measured precipitation.
Specialty Forecast Products
The following are forecast products that are not available in all NOAA Weather Radio stations or are only played as conditions warrant (Forecast products of any kind [with the exception of Short-Term Forecasts] will be preempted during the occurrence of severe weather):
Short Term Forecast (NOW)
Sometimes referred to by some stations as a
"Regional Weather Discussion" or the
"NOW-Cast" depending on the region, and as a
"Local Update" when used by
The Weather ChannelThe Weather Channel is a US cable and satellite television network since May 2, 1982, that broadcasts weather forecasts and weather-related news, along with entertainment programming related to weather 24 hours a day...
during their
local forecastsThe Local on the 8s or Local Forecast is the portion of programming where viewers see current weather conditions and local weather forecasts for their respective area on The Weather Channel in the United States...
on cable systems using the WeatherStar 4000 system in the mid-late 1990s, this is a localized, event-driven product used to provide the public with detailed weather information during significant and/or fast-changing hydrometeorological conditions during the next six hours. This product on-air will often mention the position of precipitation as detected by NEXRAD radar. This is the only forecast product that is permitted to air both during active severe weather warnings affecting the listening area and during routine forecast program cycles.
Special Weather Statement (SPS)
This regional event-driven product is used to provide the public with details of the upcoming significant weather event, such as a major winter storm, a heat wave, or potential flooding.
Here's an example SPS product from the NWS office in
San Angelo, TexasSan Angelo is a city in the state of Texas. Located in West Central Texas it is the county seat of Tom Green County. As of 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau, the city had a total population of 93,200...
:
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
532 AM CDT MON SEP 6 2010
TXZ049-054-064>066-071>073-076>078-098-099-113-114-127-128-139-
140-154-155-168>170-061715-
FISHER-NOLAN-STERLING-COKE-RUNNELS-IRION-TOM GREEN-CONCHO-
CROCKETT-SCHLEICHER-SUTTON-HASKELL-THROCKMORTON-JONES-SHACKELFORD-
TAYLOR-CALLAHAN-COLEMAN-BROWN-MCCULLOCH-SAN SABA-MENARD-KIMBLE-
MASON-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ROTAN...ROBY...SWEETWATER...
STERLING CITY...ROBERT LEE...BRONTE...BALLINGER...WINTERS...
MERTZON...SAN ANGELO...EDEN...OZONA...ELDORADO...SONORA...
HASKELL...THROCKMORTON...WOODSON...STAMFORD...ANSON...HAMLIN...
ALBANY...ABILENE...CLYDE...BAIRD...CROSS PLAINS...COLEMAN...
BROWNWOOD...BRADY...SAN SABA...MENARD...JUNCTION...MASON
532 AM CDT MON SEP 6 2010
...TROPICAL STORM HERMINE FORMS IN THE WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO
AT 4 AM CDT ON THIS LABOR DAY MORNING...
THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER IS ISSUING ADVISORIES ON TROPICAL
STORM HERMINE. THE HURRICANE CENTER FORECAST`S TROPICAL STORM
HERMINE TO MAKE LANDFALL ALONG THE NORTHEAST MEXICAN COASTLINE
SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT.
HERMINE IS FORECAST TO TRACK NORTHWEST TOWARDS WEST CENTRAL TEXAS AS
A TROPICAL DEPRESSION. IT SHOULD IMPACT THE AREA TUESDAY
NIGHT...WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THE OUTER RAIN BANDS OF THIS
DEPRESSION COULD IMPACT THE NORTHWEST HILL COUNTRY AS EARLY AS
TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. REMEMBER THAT ISOLATED TORNADOES CAN
FORM IN THE OUTER BANDS OF THESE SYSTEMS WITH LITTLE OR NO WARNING.
TROPICAL DEPRESSIONS ARE ALSO KNOWN FOR PRODUCING CONCENTRATED
FLOODING RAINFALL AT NIGHT. THEREFORE...IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO
MONITOR THE TRACK OF HERMINE AS IT MOVES INLAND OVER THE NEXT FEW
DAYS SINCE THERE STILL IS SOME UNCERTAINTY WITH THE FUTURE TRACK
AND SPEED OF HERMINE.
BASED ON THE LATEST FORECAST TRACK...WIDESPREAD 2 TO 4 INCHES WITH
ISOLATED 4 TO 8 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS WEST CENTRAL TEXAS
TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT.
Tabular State Forecast Product (SFT)
This is a general seven-day public forecast of hydrometeorological conditions for the entire WFO area of responsibility. This forecast is not part of the regular program cycle, and will only be played on all stations within the WFOs area of responsibility in the event the CRS is down due to technical difficulties or system maintenance.
Record Information Announcement (RER)
This is a product which announces information on tied or newly set records for coldest/warmest maximum and/or minimum temperature and maximum precipitation. This forecast product is routinely updated when such events occur.
Surf Zone Forecast (SRF)
This is a text forecast for local beaches issued by coastal WFOs, including coastal hazard information such as that pertaining to rip currents. These products are issued year-round at the Los Angeles/Oxnard, San Diego, and New York City offices, and seasonally at most other coastal offices.
River Forecast
Daily river forecasts are issued by the 13 River Forecast Centers (RFC) using hydrologic models based on rainfall, soil characteristics, precipitation forecasts, and several other variables. Some RFCs, especially those in mountainous regions, also provide seasonal snow pack and peak flow forecasts.
- River and Small Stream Observations - this product is played in areas in and outside of the 13 River Forecast Centers and is only played following a significant hydrological event featuring information on present flood stage, crest and forecast flood stage.
Lake Forecast
This is a text product issued by most WFOs in the Great Lakes region to explicitly state expected weather conditions within their marine forecast area of responsibility through day 5. Also addresses expect wave heights and
small-craft advisoriesA small craft advisory is a type of warning issued by the National Weather Service in the United States, most frequently in coastal areas. It is issued when winds have reached, or are expected to reach within 12 hours, a speed marginally less than gale force....
.
Coastal Waters Forecast (CWF)
This is a text product issued by all coastal WFOs to explicitly state expected weather conditions within their marine forecast area of responsibility through day 5. Also addresses expect wave heights.
Offshore Waters Forecast (OFF)
This is a text product that provides forecast and warning information to mariners who travel on the oceanic waters adjacent to the U.S. coastal waters through day 5. Issued by the Ocean Prediction Center (OPC).
Tropical Weather Summary
This event-driven product summarizes the latest information on one or multiple active tropical cyclones and is updated every 3 hours. Weather radio stations that are in States near the
Gulf of MexicoThe Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
,
Caribbean SeaThe Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
, and
Atlantic OceanThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
would be given the information of activity in the Atlantic Basin, where upon stations in the West Coast would be given the information of activity in the
Pacific OceanThe Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
respectively. Depending on station and WFO, listeners can hear this product at the top and bottom of every hour.
Emergency Alert Test Procedure
NOAA Weather Radio has a special day and time to test the
Emergency Alert SystemThe Emergency Alert System is a national warning system in the United States put into place on January 1, 1997, when it superseded the Emergency Broadcast System , which itself had superseded the CONELRAD System...
. The National Weather Service conducts a weekly warning/watch tone alert test every Wednesday between 10:00 am and Noon. Some NWS Offices conduct a second test in the evening hours, usually at 7:00 pm. If there is a threat of severe weather that day in the NOAA Weather Radio listening area, the test will be postponed until the next available good weather day. The weekly test will replace regular NOAA Weather Radio programming. The SAME Header is sent, followed by the 1050 Hz tone, the text message, and the SAME End Of Message (EOM) burst. The text of the test message reads, with variations:
"This is the National Weather Service office in (city).
The preceding signal was a test of the warning alarm system of National Weather Service radio station (call sign of station)
in (location).
During potential or actual dangerous weather situations, specially built receivers are automatically activated by this signal to warn of the impending hazard. Tests of this signal and receivers' performance are usually conducted by this Weather Service office on Wednesdays at (time[s]).
When there is a threat of severe weather, or existing severe weather is in the area on Wednesday, the test will be postponed until the next available good-weather day. (Alt.
the test will be cancelled, and a short message stating the reason for the cancellation will be broadcast.) Reception of this broadcast, and especially the warning alarm signal, will vary at any given location. The variability, normally more noticeable at greater distances from the transmitter, will occur even though you are using a good quality receiver in perfect working order. To provide the most consistent warning service possible, the warning alarm will be activated only for selected watches and warnings affecting the following counties: (list of counties. N.B. When more than one state is involved, the name of the state comes before the list of counties; for example, on KID-77 in Kansas City, it runs:
"in Missouri: Cass, Clay, Jackson, Johnson, Lafayette, Platte, and Ray; and in Kansas: Johnson, Leavenworth, Linn, Miami, Wyandotte, and Douglas.")
This concludes the test of the warning alarm system of NOAA Weather Radio (call sign).
We now return to normal programming."
Some NWS Weather Forecast Offices, such as the
Taunton, MATaunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the seat of Bristol County and the hub of the Greater Taunton Area. The city is located south of Boston, east of Providence, north of Fall River and west of Plymouth. The City of Taunton is situated on the Taunton River...
WFO, use a completely different test script.
Voices
Before 1997, the bulk of NWR programming was via human voice, with a
meteorologistMeteorology is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere. Studies in the field stretch back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not occur until the 18th century. The 19th century saw breakthroughs occur after observing networks developed across several countries...
recording each message and setting up a looping broadcast cycle. As the NWS added more transmitters to provide better radio coverage, WFO staff had difficulty keeping broadcast cycles updated in a timely fashion, especially during large severe weather outbreaks. The NWS then installed a Console Replacement System (CRS) in every forecast office, which introduced a synthesized voice to read text announcements. Because of the large number of geographic terms routinely used in NWR broadcasts, Concatenative Synthesis was not suitable. Instead, an unlimited-vocabulary phonetic synthesizer was employed. This male voice was named "NOAA's Perfect Paul" or simply "Paul", although it quickly acquired several nicknames for its mechanically awkward pronunciation and intonation, including "Igor", "Sven", "
ArnoldArnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
", and
Mr. Roboto"Mr. Roboto" is a song written by Dennis DeYoung and performed by the band Styx on their 1983 concept album Kilroy Was Here. In Canada, where they were always more popular than in their native U.S., it went to #1 on the RPM national singles chart, becoming their third single to top the charts in...
. Other National Weather Service offices, including Seattle, Oxnard, Fort Worth and Las Vegas, used a low-tone voice, known as "Harry".
In 2002, the National Weather Service contracted with
Siemens Information and CommunicationSiemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
and
SpeechWorksSpeechWorks was a company founded in the late 1990s in Boston that developed and supported speech-related computer software. The company was purchased in mid-2003 by Peabody, Massachusetts-based Nuance Communications, which was then known as ScanSoft....
to introduce improved, more natural voices
http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/aa081501a.htm?terms=weather . The Voice Improvement Plan (VIP) was implemented, involving a separate computer processor linked into CRS that fed digitized sound files to the broadcast suite. The improvements involved one male voice ("Craig"), and one female voice ("Donna"). Additional upgrades in 2003 produced a greatly improved male voice nicknamed "Tom", which can change intonation based on the urgency of a product; "Donna" was altered as well. Due to the superior quality of the "Tom" voice, most NWS offices use it for the majority of broadcast products. Occasionally, "Donna" can be heard voicing a few products, and the original "Paul" or "Harry" voice usually announces the current local time, some river warnings and in some WFO's, the station identity as required by the FCC (example: "Station
KEC-55KEC55 is a NOAA Weather Radio station that serves Dallas/Fort Worth and surrounding areas south, west and north of the immediate metroplex. It is programmed from the National Weather Service forecast office in Fort Worth, Texas with its transmitter located in Crowley...
, serving the
Dallas/Fort WorthThe Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington Metropolitan Statistical Area, a title designated by the U.S. Census as of 2003, encompasses 12 counties within the U.S. state of Texas. The area is divided into two metropolitan divisions: Dallas–Plano–Irving and Fort Worth–Arlington. Residents of the area...
listening area"). Full statements will occasionally be heard in the "Paul" voice if the VIP processor gets overloaded with products or a failure occurs.
A few WFOs have had some fun with their synthesized voices by staging contests whereby their listeners can choose a name for the voices. The WFO in Wichita, KS, for example, gave the "Paul" voice the name "Chance Storm"; when the VIP voices came along, they chose the "Donna" voice to broadcast routine products and gave her the name "Misty Dawn." Incidentally, they have never had such a contest for "Craig" or "Tom", whom they use for urgent products.
Human voices are still heard on occasion, but sparingly, mainly during station identification, public forecasts, National Ocean Fishery Service messages, Public Information Statements, Public Service Announcements, weekly tests and severe weather events. The capability exists for a meteorologist to broadcast live on any transmitter if computer problems occur or added emphasis is desired, or to notify listeners who are concerned about a silent station on another frequency whether that station is dark due to technical errors or a weather event has forced it off the air.
Four forecast offices broadcast weather in Spanish: San Diego, El Paso, and San Juan use a male Spanish synthesized voice, "Javier", for full broadcasts. The Albuquerque weather forecasting office uses "Javier" for repeating weather alerts in Spanish.
See also
- Weather radio
- Weatheradio Canada
Weatheradio Canada, in French Radiométéo Canada, is a Canadian radio network that broadcasts weather information. Owned and operated by Environment Canada's Meteorological Service of Canada division, the network transmits in both official languages from 199 sites across Canada.In most locations,...
- Emergency Alert System
The Emergency Alert System is a national warning system in the United States put into place on January 1, 1997, when it superseded the Emergency Broadcast System , which itself had superseded the CONELRAD System...
- Severe weather terminology
Severe weather terminology is different around the world, varying between regions and countries. These are articles which explain terminology in various parts of the world.*Severe weather terminology *Severe weather terminology...
- Navtex
NAVTEX is an international automated medium frequency direct-printing service for delivery of navigational and meteorological warnings and forecasts, as well as urgent marine safety information to ships...
- HEARO
The HEARO Local Alert Receiver is an emergency management tool to relay and display informational text messages in English, Spanish, French and German using RDS technology. It notifies local residents in the event of an emergency within a matter of seconds. HEARO carries NOAA weather warnings and...
Local Alert Receiver
External links