LaSalle County Skywarn

Members and users of the Starved Rock Radio Club radio repeater (W9MKS/R) who have undergone current training in the Severe Weather Spotter Classes conducted by the National Weather Service (NWS) in cooperation with local county Emergency Managers are invited to participate in Weather (WX) Nets under the direction of an Acting WX Net Control, passing weather event observations, ground truth observations and after-event damage information that meet the current report criteria established by the NWS during these nets.

Local Hospitals, various Emergency Services, Emergency Management personnel, NWS Liaison personnel and the general public using radio scanners will be monitoring these disciplined amateur radio weather nets, primarily within the LaSalle County area, so general amateur radio users are asked to please refrain from normal amateur radio use on the W9MKS Repeater 147.12o MHz during a severe weather event.

The Acting Weather Net Control Station will identify by name and amateur radio callsign, and is the authority for this net. Each weather net will be a controlled net, and all participants will follow reporting standards set by the NWS in their annual spotter training. The NCS will relay reported communications to the National Weather Service via local EMA, or direct when EMA is unavailable. Ground truth observations will be taken from the net, usually AFTER the severe weather has passed. The safety of the public and property is paramount.

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