The Fort Herkimer Amateur Radio Assoc, Inc. (FHARA) in conjunction with The National Weather Service present a Skywarn™ Spring Weather Spotter Training

​This Free weather spotter training session will take place tomorrow on Thursday, May 9th, 2024 at the Town of German Flatts Community Center, 555 State Route 5S, Mohawk, New York 13407 from 6:00 pm to 8:00pm. The event is FREE and the public is encouraged to attend.

​Register for this event here and sign up under the date “May 9th” at the German Flatts location.

​The effects of hazardous weather are felt every year by many Americans.

To obtain critical weather information, NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS), part of the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), established SKYWARN™ with partner organizations. SKYWARN™ is a volunteer program with nearly 290,000 trained severe weather spotters. These volunteers help keep their local communities safe by providing timely and accurate reports of severe weather to the NWS.

​Since the SKYWARN™ program started in the 1970s, the information provided by SKYWARN™ spotters, coupled with Doppler-radar technology, improved satellite and other data, has enabled NWS to issue more timely and accurate warnings for tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and flash floods.

National Weather Service SKYWARN™ Spring Weather Spotter Training

SKYWARN™ storm spotters are part of the ranks of citizens who form the Nation’s first line of defense against hazardous weather. There can be no finer reward than to know that their efforts have given communities the precious gift of time–seconds and minutes that can help save lives. While the main role of a storm spotter is to be their community’s first line of defense against dangerous storms, they also provide important information to NWS warning forecasters who make critical warning decisions. Storm spotters play a critical role because they can see things that radar and other technological tools cannot, and this ground truth is critical in helping the NWS perform our primary mission, to save lives and property.

The Fort Herkimer Amateur Radio Association, Inc.

​The FHARA welcomes new members that are already licensed or are interested in becoming an Amateur Radio Operator and regularly offers an FCC entry level course for Technician (no morse code required). The FHARA meets monthly, usually on the 2nd Wednesday of the month.

​The FHARA is also offering training for all levels of ARES/RACES Emergency Communications and is prepared to assist with Emergency Communications during times of Emergency or Natural Disasters on a County, State or Federal level.

​The FHARA hosts a Weekly Monday Night Net at 7pm on the frequency 145.110 (-0.6 MHZ) PL Tone 167.9. Members check in and are updated on any Association news or functions. A short Emergency Preparedness Training is usually broadcast every week as well. Any Licensed operator can participate regardless of whether or not they are a member of the Association. Weekly check-ins include ham radio operators from Herkimer, Montgomery, Fulton, Schoharie, Otsego, Oneida and Madison Counties.

​Anyone interested in the FHARA can attend a meeting or call Educational Committee Chairman, Chris Bouck KB4CMF at 1-315-429-3927 or Association President Don Peterson KD2ILO at 1-315-868-3283 for more information.​

​More info can be found at www.fhara.net.