Saturday, December 3, 2005 was the seventh annual SKYWARN ^TM Recognition Day (SRD).

What is SRD?
Co-sponsered by the National Weather Service and the Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL), SKYWARN ^TM Recognition Day is the Weather Service's way of expressing its appreciation to Amateur Radio operators for their commitment to helping keep communities safe. During this 24-hour special event, teams of radio amateurs set up stations at local NWS offices across the country to contact other hams across the U.S. and around the world.

At the NWS in Peachtree City...
amateur radio operators (HAMS) fired up the SKYWARN ^TM station (WX4PTC), and had a very successful day, making contacts in:

• 44 states
• 3 Canadian Provinces (Ontario, BC, New Foundland)
• 1 Maritime Mobile
• 1 Special event station aboard the USS Wisconsin

There were 328 contacts on HF, 16 APRS contacts, and contacts with 38 other NWS Forecast Offices.

The event was staffed by at least 18 HAMS. A few are pictured below.

Why are "HAMS" so important?
In typical SKYWARN ^TM operations during severe weather, direct communication between mobile spotters and local NWS offices provides critical "ground truth" information for forecasters. "Spotter reports of hail size, wind damage and surface-based rotation in real time greatly assist the NWS radar warning operator, since that information can be correlated with Doppler radar displays. The result may be a more strongly worded statement to convey greater urgency or issue a tornado warning a few minutes earlier than would otherwise have been possible.

Everyone at the NWS Forecast Office in Peachtree City is grateful for the tireless efforts of our volunteer Amateur Radio operators. Their efforts throughout the year make it possible for the National Weather Service to provide the level of service expected by area citizens during times of severe weather. These volunteers sacrifice their time to help provide the best flow of information possible to and from the near-storm environment.