Category Archives: ARES

SITUATION

As of 1030 on Monday, 13 March 2023 all Western Massachusetts ARES members are notified that a severe winter storm will impact our area during tonight, all day Tuesday, and into Wednesday. We are expecting a large amount of heavy, wet snow and some high winds that are likely to bring about power outages and other storm damage and infrastructure issues.

MISSION

All WMA ARES members who are able to do so are requested to report any known instances of storm damage, failures of infrastructure as well as winter precipitation types and accumulation totals via their local ARES nets. Unless specifically requested to deploy by local emergency officials or other served agencies, all reporting should be done from your present location. ARES nets will begin on or about Monday evening, 13 March 2023 or Tuesday morning, 14 March 2023 and will run until the storm impacts have been fully reported.

EXECUTION

The Western Massachusetts Amateur Radio Emergency Service will establish ARES nets in cooperation with SKYWARN for the National Weather Service Forecast Offices in Albany and Boston. Reports of storm damage, failures of infrastructure and winter precipitation types and accumulation totals will be solicited from spotters and the reports received will be transmitted to the appropriate NWS office.

ARES nets will begin Monday evening, 13 March 2023 on the Mount Tom repeater. They will begin no later than Tuesday morning, 14 March 2023 on the Mount Greylock repeater. Nets will run until the storm impacts have been fully reported. Monitor the channels below for other net times. All nets times are subject to change based upon local conditions and need.

Net Control Stations will request storm damage or infrastructure failure reports containing:

1. Callsign
2. Name
3. City/Town, County, State
4. Location of damage or infrastructure failure
5. Type of damage or failure (i.e., power outage, water leak, trees down, roof collapse, etc.)
6. Time of the observation

Net Control Stations will request SKYWARN reports containing:

1. Callsign
2. Name
3. City/Town, County, State
4. Location to the nearest street intersection
5. Elevation if known
6. Precipitation Type (i.e., snow, sleet, freezing rain, rain)
7. Total accumulation to the nearest tenth of an inch
8. Time of the observation

Net Control Stations will record reports and transmit them to their respective Weather Forecast Office using their preferred means of reporting. If NWS Liaison Stations have checked in to the net, the Liaison Station may transmit these reports.

ADMINISTRATIVE AND LOGISTICS

ARES nets will not require travel or deployment. Members should ensure they have essential needs on hand to avoid any need to travel during the impact of severe weather.

SIGNAL

The following VHF analog FM channels will be used for weather spotting nets in the following general areas:

• Berkshire County – Mount Greylock repeater 146.9100/146.3100 Tone 162.2 Hz
• Hampden/Hampshire – Mount Tom repeater 146.9400/146.3400 Tone 127.3 Hz
• Franklin/Worcester – Paxton repeater 146.9700/146.3700 Tone 114.8 Hz

In addition, the following channels may be polled by NWS Boston Liaison Station WX1BOX for any reports:

• Fitchburg repeater – 145.4500/144.8500 Tone74.4 Hz
• Gardner repeater – 145.3700/144.7700 Tone 136.5 Hz

The following HF channels are tentatively established as backups in the event of infrastructure
failures impacting the VHF channels above:

• Western Mass. Emergency Net – 3944 kHz LSB
• New York Stare Phone Traffic and Emergency Net – 3925 kHz LSB
• Eastern New York ARES Net – 3993 kHz LSB

73 de Chuck Chandler, WS1L
WMA Section Emergency Coordinator
chandlerusm@gmail.com

The Western MA Emergency Net will operate tomorrow as a part of the SKYWARN operations form Winter Storm Izzy. This storm system we have coming up is a quick hitting but potent storm system for our area.

For portions of western and northwest Massachusetts, we will see the snow heavy at times with the potential of 5-9″ before a change over to sleet/freezing rain and possibly rain. Wind gusts of 40 MPH coupled with the snow and ice may bring some pockets of tree and wire damage. In Eastern Massachusetts, we are preparing for the potential of damaging winds and heavy rainfall with coastal flooding at the coast. Wind gusts of up to 65 MPH are likely especially in heavy rainfall that can bring the wind down to the surface.

A good chunk of the snowfall will occur overnight and then for a few hours in the early to mid-morning. Snowfall reports would be helpful particularly in locations in northern Worcester and Middlesex counties through Franklin, western Hampshire and western Hampden counties as well as changeover of precipitation type and any storm damage. Higher elevations may see the heaviest snowfall from this event.

In response, above and beyond the normal 2M VHF SKYWARN nets which will run at the top of each hour tomorrow morning, the Western MA Emergency Net will start at 6:30 AM with hourly call ups on the bottom of the hour thereafter until its no longer needed (likely 12:30).

All SKYWARN participants are welcome to check in to either the VHF nets or WMEN on or around 3944 kHz LSB with weather reports that meet reporting criteria. For this particular storm, WX1BOX is particularly interested in the following information on each call up:

• Measured snowfall
• Measured ice accretion (if any)
• Current precipitation
• Current temperature (if available)
• Precipitation changeover time (if changes occured since last report)
• Measured wind gusts of 40 MPH or greater
• Any storm damage (wind or combo of snow/ice/wind)

The latest SKYWARN storm response messages can be seen on wx1box.org. Applicable reporting criteria can also be reviews on wx1box.org.