The National Weather Service has started an experimental program for submitting storm reports via Twitter!

Details can be found here.

GeoTagging (more from Twitter) is the act of associating geographical information with something, and Twitter has recently added the capability GeoTagging individual Tweets. This allows the NWS to correlate each Tweet to your location when it was sent. This capability will help to enhance and increase timely & accurate online weather reporting and communications between the public and their local weather forecast offices.

If Geotagging is available on your 3rd party Twitter application:

1. First make sure geotagging is turned on for your 3rd party Twitter app.
2. Second make sure geotagging is turned on for your twitter account page.
   • Through the web page: http://twitter.com/account/settings
   • From your mobile device: http://twitter.com/account/settings/geo
3. Now Submit your Tweet report via your 3rd party app in the following format:
   #wxreport <your signifcant weather report>

If Geotagging is NOT available on your 3rd party Twitter application:

1. Log in to your twitter account via the web or mobile device.
2. Submit your Tweet report in the following format:
   #wxreport WW <your location> WW <your signifcant weather report>
3. Your location can be just about anything, here are some examples:
   • An address:
     WW 7955 Airport Rd., Santa Teresa, NM 88008 WW
   • An airport identifier:
     WW DFW WW
   • A zip code:
     WW 60446 WW
   • A city name:
     WW Pittsburgh, PA WW
   • A street intersection:
     WW intersection of Camino del Sol and N. Elevar St, Oxnard, CA WW
   • A latitude and longitude:
     WW 39.2775, -94.6632 WW

General Guidance:

• The purpose of this project is to allow people to submit reports. Please be responsible and respectful of the purpose.

A valid Twitter user account is required to submit reports. As such, use of this service constitutes an agreement to the ToS of the provider. Go to: http://twitter.com/tos for more information.

NEW 1 Inch Hail Criteria

On January 4th, 2010, at 6:01 pm, all National Weather Service forecast offices will operationally change the minimum hail size criterion used to issue severe thunderstorm warnings from 3/4 inch (penny sized) diameter or larger hail to 1 inch (quarter sized) diameter or larger.

No change is being made to the severe thunderstorm warning criterion of wind gusts equal to or in excess of 58 miles per hour.

For more details see http://www.srh.noaa.gov/bmx/?n=oneinchhail

Mark / WD4NYL

President of ALERT

Special Thanks to "Just" John Miller – KI4VVM for the following email:

“Thanks Jim and all the rest at the National Weather Service for the great fish fry and fellowship. The Alabama Emergency Response Team is grateful for the NWS showing their appreciation by giving us a good old fashion fish fry with all the trimmings.
Thanks again to the NWS for honoring us ,but most of all thank you for all you do as well.”

Sorry for the late post busy Friday and Saturday with all the stormy weather.

The National Weather Service is hosting an open house today from 10am – 5pm CST.
ALERT will be at the Birmingham office answering questions about us and our Amateur Radio Station that is setup in their office. Come by and say hello!!

ALERT will be participating in SKYWARN Recognition Day this year.

When: December 6, 2008 (0000 -- 2400 UTC)

Where: National Weather Service in Birmingham, AL

Callsign: K4NWS

Modes: ALERT will attempt to utilize HF (80m-10m), 6M, 2M, 70CM, D-Star if permitted, and Echolink if permitted.

For more info visit http://hamradio.noaa.gov

“SKYWARNTM Recognition Day was developed in 1999 by the National Weather Service and the American Radio Relay League. It celebrates the contributions that volunteer SKYWARNTM radio operators make to the National Weather Service. During the day SKYWARNTM operators visit NWS offices and contact other radio operators across the world.”

The following video is a SKYWARN Recognition Day promo using ALERT audio and created by:
Kevin Pauley, KB9WVI
Public Information -- Bloomington Amateur Radio Club, Inc.