Please Attend Amateur Radio Field Day

Kokomo area “hams” will join with thousands of Amateur Radio operators who will be showing off their emergency capabilities this weekend. Over the past year, the news has been full of reports of ham radio operators providing critical communications during unexpected emergencies in towns across America including the California wildfires, winter storms, tornadoes and other events worldwide. During Hurricane Katrina, Amateur Radio – often called “Ham Radio” - was often the ONLY way people could communicate, and hundreds of volunteer “hams” traveled south to save lives and property.

When trouble is brewing, Amateur Radio’s people are often the first to provide rescuers with critical information and communications. On the weekend of June 25-26, the public will have a chance to meet and talk with Kokomo area ham radio operators and see for themselves what the Amateur Radio Service is about. Showing the newest digital and satellite capabilities, voice communications and even historical Morse code, hams from across the USA will be holding public demonstrations of emergency communications abilities.

This annual event, called "Field Day" is the climax of the week long "Amateur Radio Week" sponsored by the ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio. Using only emergency power supplies, ham operators will construct emergency stations in parks, shopping malls, schools and backyards around the country. Their slogan, "When All Else Fails, Ham Radio Works” is more than just words to the hams as they prove they can send messages in many forms without the use of phone systems, internet or any other infrastructure that can be compromised in a crisis.

The Howard County Kokomo Amateur Radio Club Field Day will be held at Northwestern High School in the area of the football stadium. On-air operations will begin on Saturday, June 25th at 1:00 p.m. and will be ongoing around the clock until approximately noon on Sunday June 26th. Everyone is invited to observe operations or even try their hand at the microphone as we contact other "hams" across the United States and Canada. For more information, contact Ron Julius at 765-628-3520.

Here are some photos from 2010 when we operated from EMA on Berkley Road.

Tuesday Noon Update

Severe weather is likely this afternoon with damaging winds and hail being the largest threat.  A small tornado threat exists but is not the main concern for our area.

The advancing upper level low and slightly negative trough will influence the weather for our area today and tomorrow.  Storms should begin forming sometime later this afternoon and continue through the evening.

Clearing is allowing the atmosphere to become charged and unlike yesterday where there was a strong cap to inhibit convection, today's cap is much weaker and should be broken easily.  CAPE valuse, a sign of instability, are already extremely high for the area.  The significant severe index is also high and you can see some storm activity in Illinois already.

Also the KIND radar is Indianapolis remains offline after a direct lightning hit yesterday.  No word on its return to service. 

Severe Weather for Tuesday

Late last week, if anyone had told me that the City-County Major League Championship would be on schedule after three days of action, I would have laughed and said no way.  Even yesterday morning when the rains were moving across the county I was thinking postponements were eminent. 

Instead mother nature didn't produce over the weekend and yesterday, games were moved to diamonds that were not submerged and play continued on Monday evening.  Still I think that today we will see some postponements for thunderstorms action later this afternoon.

An upper level low will slowly makes it way across the upper great lakes today and tomorrow and will drag with it chances for severe weather and of course, more rain.  Storms will pinwheel around the low pressure system bringing multiple rounds of convection.


I don't think either the RUC or HRRR models have a good handle on the afternoon and evening convection.  Like the previous three days, it will be a lot of nowcasting but unlike yesterday, the CAP will be minimal to things should get going today.

Quick updates on Facebook and twitter...

Severe Weather Monday Afternoon & Evening?

Usually this much heavy rain early in the day settles down the atmosphere so later day convection doesn't happen.  However the RUC shows a different story as does the SERF for later today.

Chad at Channel 18 is also on board the severe weather idea for later today.  He has a nice write up on his blog about it.

Rain? Yes! Severe? Probably Not...

Things have changed with this morning model runs.  The severe weather threat had drastically diminished for today and most importantly tomorrow.  The tornado threat is gone.  The most recent Day 2 shows the change in thinking from the SPC. 

Severe Weather & Rain

There will be plenty of rain over the course of the next 5 to 7 days.  Amounts ranging from nearly a couple of inches on the low side to 4+ inches in isolated areas.

We are in or very near the slight risk areas outlined by the SPC for severe weather through Tuesday.  It could extend past that too.

For Saturday, the risk is wind and hail and the threat remains rather scattered.  A very low (2%) risk for tornadoes on Saturday.  The current incoming mess is slow and should give us several hours to get in some activities outside.  Simulated short range models do show storms moving back in later afternoon.

Sunday has an increased threat for severe weather with tornadoes being possible.  The SERF has been highlighting an area in Indiana and Western Ohio as the location for tornadic activity.  The timing has been mid afternoon and evening.

Again, the treat is not as ominous as many of the recent events.  Still however one should be prepared to take action should severe weather threaten.

The 90 degree temperatures have been pulled from the NWS forecast for the early week.  By weeks end, we will be back to cooler weather with highs in the 70's again.  Severe weather should continue through mid week and there could be a much great threat for tornadoes on Wednesday if the GFS and its forecast is correct. 

I do think it will be a challenging week for the 55th Annual David A. Kasey Memorial Tournament.  Major league play will likely see a few rain outs or delays.  I say the odds of the tournament being extended an extra  day to Friday seems high given the forecast.  It wouldn't be the first time in recent years.

Record Summer Warmth?

The months of June, July, & August make up meteorological summer.  Channel 18 Meteorologist Chad Evans has made a forecast for a hot summer.  So hot in fact it would break 1933 record where we averaged 79.3 degrees with a new average of 80.1 degrees.  A rather bold prediction.

Tim, a fellow weather enthusiast in Lafayette had decided to keep detailed track of the heat just to see how this all pans out.  (He is a wizard with old weather data.)

I think this will be interesting to follow and I will update you occasionally.  Feel free to directly source the progress here.

What an evening...

A lot of wind damage across the county.  I was how and saw hail several times while spotting.  A measured wind gust of 73 MPH at 5:20 on the north side of Kokomo.  There was a 62 MPH gust at the airport before the station went offline.

A lot of rain has also fallen.  I have seen 2.5 to 3.5 inch reports this evening. 

We also broke a record with a high of 95 today.  Sunday should be better and severe weather should be south of Kokomo. 

HRRR Model

Show initiation just before 3 PM and then building.  A slight lull before a second wave hits at 8 PM.

Saturday Wind Threat

Severe weather will break out across the northern half of Indiana today where there is a threat of high damaging winds.  Conditions for development are mid to late afternoon into the evening. 

Saturday Severe Weather...

We might have some action to discuss...