2020 Virtual SKYWARN Spotter Recognition Day

The La Crosse National Weather Service (NWS) Office hosted a Virtual SKYWARN Amateur Radio Recognition Day on December 5th 2020. This years event looked a little different with it being held in a virtual setting. We operated radios from our home locations and made contacts around the U.S. and World from 8am to 4pm CST.

A big thank you to those that participated this year and to all of the SKYWARN Volunteer Spotters that help us throughout the year!

This year 178 contacts were made including 36 states and 3 countries as far away as New Zealand!

2020 Virtual Meeting With Amateur Radio Operators	States & Provinces Contacted

This annual event is set aside to recognize and celebrate the support amateur radio operators provide the National Weather Service (NWS). Amateur radio operators are a key component of the warning process in every community - helping with storm spotting, communication, and sometimes post-event assistance. We utilize the assistance of many local amateur radio operators in nearly every major weather event.

All day we made contacts via Amateur Radio around the country (and World!), exchanging weather information, and showing our appreciation.

For more information please contact:

John Wetenkamp - john.wetenkamp@noaa.gov

Todd Shea - todd.shea@noaa.gov

What is SKYWARN Recognition Day (SRD)?

SRD was developed in 1999 by the NWS and the American Radio Relay League (ARRL). It celebrates the contributions that volunteer SKYWARN radio operators make to the NWS. During SRD, SKYWARN operators visit NWS offices and contact other radio operators across the United States and the world.

How many Stations are participated in the SRD event?

The NWS in La Crosse, WI is just one of many offices that participated in this event along with individual radio operators across the country. For more information visit the NWS SKYWARN Recognition Day web page at: https://www.weather.gov/crh/skywarnrecognition

What HAM Radio frequencies and modes are used during SRD?

The NWS La Crosse office (HAM call sign: WX9ARX) used the following bands:

80 Meters
40 Meters
20 Meters
15 Meters
10 Meters
2 Meters

The modes operated include:

SSB
FM

ARRL Website: http://www.arrl.org/skywarn-recognition-day

You can also view our SKYWARN page at: https://www.weather.gov/arx/skywarn