National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

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• NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) is a radio system designed to broadcast continuous weather information, forecasts and warnings with no commercial interruptions. Weather messages repeat about every 6 minutes, but may be slightly longer during highly active weather events. During severe weather, messages may repeat as often as every 3 minutes. Most radio stations are maintained continuously.
• The primary objective for NOAA Weather Radio is to broadcast warnings immediately to the public. All other information is considered secondary and may be suspended from the broadcasts during times of severe weather or warning events.
• Some radios are equipped with special message encoders that activate an audible alarm. This alarm feature signifies that some warning or special emergency information has been broadcast. The listener can then listen to the emergency message.
• Most NOAA weather radios can be purchased at discount, electronics, and mariner supply stores. The average cost is around $40, but more elaborate radios may cost more.

What is NOAA Weather Radio SAME?

The Emergency Broadcast System (EBS) was replaced by the Emergency Alert System (EAS) on January 1, 1997. The EAS provides a digital burst of information that includes exact locations and the type of emergency. EAS information is carried over the NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) network.

The special encoding of location and type is decoded by special receivers called SPECIFIC AREA MESSAGE ENCODER, or SAME. NOAA Weather Radios can be purchased that have SAME, and will alarm only if the emergency is in your county and is of the type that you have programmed to be received.

If you are in the Northland and want to have the EAS alert on your NOAA weather radio, click here for the Northland SAME codes.

When is the SAME system activated?

The NWR SAME system WILL BE ACTIVATED for WARNINGS of the following type:

Where do I go for more information about NOAA Weather Radio and SAME?