WX5FWD.ORG

The WX5FWD SKYWARN™ team are volunteer radio operator liaisons for the Fort Worth National Weather Service (NWS) North Texas SKYWARN™ Spotters. During SKYWARN events, you are reporting information to our team and the the NWS warning forecasters. Weather spotters provide what's called "ground truth" to the National Weather Service and emergency weather management. Spotters are needed because, while radar is very good at helping the National Weather Service see what's going on in the upper atmosphere, it's unable to detect what's actually happening on the ground because of the curvature of the Earth. Knowing the "ground truth" about a weather event from the location can be the deciding factor to issue a warning.

URL: http://wx5fwd.org

Updated: 9 hours 36 min ago

NWS Update: Rainfall Potential Tonight and Saturday

Fri, 02/17/2012 - 14:39

From: National Weather Service, Fort Worth
Date: Friday, 17 Feb 2011 14:19 CST

An upper level storm system over northern Mexico will move east across Texas tonight and Saturday spreading a large area of rain over central and southern sections tonight and Saturday. Across the NWS Fort Worth area of responsibility, rainfall of one to two inches is possible along and south of a Lampasas to Waco to Athens line. Rainfall of this magnitude may lead to localized runoff problems in low-lying areas, however widespread flooding is not expected. The rain will occasionally be accompanied by thunderstorms, with small hail possible. More substantial rainfall and a greater risk of flooding is forecasted across southeast Texas and eastward into southern Louisiana.

Across the remainder of North Texas, rain is likely tonight and mainly Saturday morning however amounts will be an inch or less.

Joplin Tornado Assessment

Sat, 01/14/2012 - 09:40

Please review the assessment of the 2011 Joplin tornado from the NWS Service Assessments.

Preface

On May 22, 2011, one of the deadliest tornadoes in United States history struck Joplin, Missouri, directly killing 158 people and injuring over 1,000. The tornado, rated EF-5 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, with maximum winds over 200 mph, affected a significant part of a city with a population of more than 50,000 and a population density near 1,500 people per square mile. As a result, the Joplin tornado was the first single tornado in the United States to result in over 100 fatalities since the Flint, Michigan, tornado of June 8, 1953.

Because of the rarity and historical significance of this event, a regional Service Assessment team was formed to examine warning and forecast services provided by the National Weather Service. Furthermore, because of the large number of fatalities that resulted from a warned tornado event, this Service Assessment will provide additional focus on dissemination, preparedness, and warning response within the community as they relate to NWS services.

Service Assessments provide a valuable contribution to ongoing efforts by the National Weather Service to improve the quality, timeliness, and value of our products and services. Findings and recommendations from this assessment will improve techniques, products, services, and information provided to our partners and the American public.

Lynn P. Maximuk
Director, Central Region
National Weather Service
July 2011

SKYWARN CWA - NWS Spotter Radio Access

Mon, 12/19/2011 - 17:24

Would you like to change any of these counties to green? Do you know why Bell and Fannin are green, when they are not within direct radio range of the NWS office? Help us provide a radio link from the storm spotters in your area to the Fort Worth National Weather Service forecasters. We may be able to assist in setting up a radio link with your local SKYWARN repeater. Direct, real time reports from spotters are

SKYWARN Recognition Day QSL Log

Wed, 12/07/2011 - 21:53

We have created a log of 339 contacts with a link to display a QSL card for printing. Click on the Read More to display the QSL Log page.

SRD Visitors Map to the Fort Worth National Weather Service

Fri, 12/02/2011 - 09:48

Remember, if you plan to visit the NWS office for SKYWARN Recognition Day on Saturday, you must RSVP via our RSVP web form, or send email to SRD@WX5FWD.org. Please drive carefully and have a safe trip to the Fort Worth NWS. We look forward to meeting all of you.

The address, map and other details follow...

2011 SKYWARN® Recognition Day

Sun, 11/20/2011 - 11:48

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The 2011 SKYWARN® Recognition Day 24 hour event is active December 2, 18:00 (6PM) until Saturday, December 3rd, 18:00 (6 PM) CST TargetDate = "12/03/2011 6:00 PM"; BackColor = "green"; ForeColor = "white"; CountActive = true; CountStepper = -1; LeadingZero = false; DisplayFormat = " ending in %%D%% Days, %%H%% Hours, %%M%% Minutes, %%S%% Seconds"; FinishMessage = "";

SKYWARN Recognition Day was developed in 1999 by the National Weather Service (NWS) and the American Radio Relay League (ARRL). It celebrates the contributions that volunteer SKYWARN radio operators make to the National Weather Service. During the day, SKYWARN radio operators visit NWS offices and contact other radio operators across the world. Information regarding SKYWARN Recognition Day is updated at hamradio.noaa.gov, and for the Fort Worth office at wx5fwd.org.

As in previous years, North Texas SKYWARN Amateur Radio spotters are encouraged to participate in SKYWARN Recognition Day, and make radio contacts with NWS offices and other SKYWARN ham radio spotter groups.

SKYWARN volunteers may visit the NWS Saturday. This is a special invitation to volunteers in counties where the NWS has limited or no spotter contacts. See