PASS Winter Net Overview

The amateur radio station at WFO GRB (WX9GRB) doesn't have a formal winter program for the 2005 - 2006 season. On occasion, for major blizzards / winter storms, Christian KC0ARF (or another operator) may visit area repeaters for local snow / ice reports.

Due to the significant danger presented by snow and ice, we will never ask for people to deploy and spot under the Summer program methods. Rather, we will ask people to simply measure the conditions where they are... be it a driveway, or your backyard, or the parking lot at work. When measuring snow, it is important to find the "average" snow depth... look for drifts, bare spots under trees, and other abnormalities, and avoid them. Generally, an open field without obstructions is a great place to start.

When making the report, the NWS will require a nearby street intersection, such as "CTY A and Capital Street", along with the County, City, and the spotter's call sign. We also need the time that the measurement was made. A report might look like this:

KC0ARF, 10" snow, intersection of Webster & Main Street, City of DePere, Brown County. 11:30am.

A major snow event may last several hours, so we might make the call for reports 1/2 way into the storm, and again near the end.