PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
152 PM CST WED NOV 28 2007

...SKYWARN RECOGNITION DAY...

SKYWARN RECOGNITION DAY IS THIS SATURDAY...DECEMBER 1ST. ON
SATURDAY...THOUSANDS OF HAM RADIO OPERATORS ACROSS THE COUNTRY
WILL OPERATE RADIO EQUIPMENT TO PARTICIPATE IN SKYWARN RECOGNITION
DAY. SKYWARN RECOGNITION DAY...CO-SPONSORED BY THE AMERICAN RADIO
RELAY LEAGUE AND THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE...PAYS TRIBUTE TO
AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS FOR THEIR VITAL SERVICE TO THE PUBLIC.
DURING THE EVENT...AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS WILL VISIT THEIR
LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE AND WORK AS A TEAM TO
CONTACT OTHER HAM RADIO OPERATORS ACROSS THE WORLD. DURING THE
2006 EVENT...MORE THAN 16,000 CONTACTS WERE MADE THROUGHOUT THE
WORLD FROM 90 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICES. THIS IS THE 9TH
YEAR FOR THE EVENT.

WHEN A HAM RADIO OPERATOR BECOMES TRAINED IN SEVERE WEATHER
REPORTING...IT PUTS THEM IN A UNIQUE POSITION TO PROVIDE VALUABLE
INFORMATION DIRECTLY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. AN EXAMPLE
OF THEIR IMPORTANCE CAN BE FOUND DURING MANY SOUTHEAST TEXAS
SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS. REAL TIME REPORTS OF HAIL SIZE...WIND DAMAGE
AND SURFACE BASED ROTATION GREATLY ASSISTS THE RADAR WARNING
OPERATOR. THE RESULT CAN RANGE ANYWHERE FROM A MORE STRONGLY
WORDED STATEMENT TO CONVEY A GREATER SENSE OF URGENCY...OR THE
ISSUANCE OF A TORNADO WARNING A FEW MINUTES EARLIER THAN WOULD
OTHERWISE HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE. IT IS OFTEN THAT A STORM SPOTTER
PROVIDES SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE...AND MANY OF THESE VOLUNTEERS ARE AMATEUR RADIO
OPERATORS.

EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT A RADIO OPERATOR...YOU CAN LISTEN TO THE
VARIOUS CONTACTS ON DECEMBER 1ST. USING A SHORTWAVE RADIO...TUNE
BETWEEN 14.200 AND 14.350 MHZ...AND LISTEN FOR A NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE STATION.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SKYWARN RECOGNITION DAY...CHECK OUT THE
WEBSITE AT HAMRADIO.NOAA.GOV.

$$