Hi Everyone,

December is here and you know what that means don’t you? Yes you’re right; it’s time for the ALERT Christmas party!

You are all cordially invited to the ALERT Christmas party Tuesday, December 15 at the NWS Forecast Office.

Please note that this will be the THIRD Tuesday, not the second Tuesday in December.

ALERT will provide “the meat and fine china”. We ask that everyone bring a side item – side dish, dessert or drink – non-alcoholic please, to share.

Stephanie Honeycutt is coordinating this event, so please contact her and let her know what you are bringing, how many people will be in your party.

Stephanie can be reached at stephhoneycutt@outlook.com

Bring your spouse, kids, and perspective members and be prepared to have Christmas fun!

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“The Night Before Christmas”, Ham Radio-style
Author Unknown
‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the town,
The snowstorm was raging, the phone lines were down;
The wind it did howl, the tree limbs did crack,
I hope that St. Nick isn’t forced to turn back.
The wife making cookies, the kids making noise,
While away in the shack, by my rig I was poised.
The finals were glowing, the mike gain was set,
I was chasing DX to see what I could get.
The bands were all empty, the frequencies clear,
Except one lone station that sounded quite near.
He was calling CQ and my interest did pique,
When he ended transmission with the words,
“Old St. Nick”.
I answered back quickly, I used great dispatch,
If this were St. Nicholas, good God, what a catch!
We exchanged information, it was really quite graphic,
Then he came back and said,
“I’ve emergency traffic!”
His reindeer were tired, his elves in a grump,
If he didn’t land soon, then his sleigh he would dump.
I thought very carefully, I thought very hard,
Then I gave him directions to my snow covered yard.
As he flew past my window, his hair like a mane,
He reined in his chargers and called them by name:
“Whoa, Anode! Whoa, Cathode! Whoa, Zener! Whoa, Diode!
Stop, Heater! Stop, Grid leak! Stop, Bias! Stop, Triode!
You’re flying too low! you’re flying too fast!
Look out, you dumb reindeer, his antenna mast!”
So into the backyard the reindeer did drop,
St. Nick, the elves, and the sleigh went kerplop!
Then at the back door, I heard this loud knocking,
“Open up in there, or I won’t fill your stocking!”
As I turned off the light and was leaving the shack,
Into the house Saint Nicholas came from the back.
His two-meter rig held to his hip with a strap,
“Hams do it in the shack” on the front of his cap.
The sack that he carried made his aged brow furrow,
And he handed me a card that read,
“QSL Via Bureau”.
His clothes were all sooty, from his shoes to his vest;
I felt like a novice taking his test.
His fingers were calloused and from what I could tell,
This came from a straight key that I’ll bet he used well.
I offered him coffee, I offered him smokes,
I tried easing the tension by telling ham jokes.
Then he nodded his head and raised up his thumb,
He smiled like an Elmer, did I ever feel dumb.
He grabbed up his sack and went straight for the tree,
And placed in it a large present for me.
When he finished his work, he stood up, took a bow,
Then out the back door to his team he did plow.
But I heard him exclaim as he flew o’er the land,
“Beware the FCC, friend, we were both out of band!”
Merry Christmas from my house to yours!

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Mark’s Almanac

December, the tenth Roman Month, is the cloudiest month of the year, with only 40 to 60% of possible sunshine poking through the clouds. It is also the stormiest month of the year for the Continental US & the Gulf of Mexico. By “stormy” meaning large-scale storms, not necessarily the tornadic storms that they bring, even though we are still in the Second Tornado Season.

A region of heavy rainfall usually forms from Texas to Northwest Florida to Tennessee and Arkansas. Cold waves bringing rain, snow, ice and occasionally tornadoes, sweep across the region.

December can be cloudy and cold, and, then it can swing into spring like warmth, luring plants to bloom early, only to have the frosts and freezes return and the plants are “nipped in the bud”.

Hurricane season is now “officially” over, however Mother Nature sometimes throws a surprise in to make life interesting. In 124 years of records, from 1885 to 2011 there have been 5 December hurricanes. The last December hurricane being Hurricane Epsilon during the 2005 season, the year in which we ran out of hurricane names. That year also featured Tropical Storm Zeta, the latest forming Tropical Storm which formed on December 30, 2005 and lasted until January 7, 2006.

Looking towards the sky, Mercury is hidden behind the Sun at the beginning of the month, but, gradually emerges into the evening sky. On the 29th Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation of 19.7 degrees from the Sun. This is the best time to view Mercury since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the evening sky. Look for the planet low in the western sky just after sunset.

Venus, Mars and Jupiter are gathered together in the Eastern predawn sky with Venus closest to the horizon, Mars above and Jupiter hovering over the pair.

Venus will pass by the moon on the morning of December 7. Also on December 7 Comet Catalina joins Venus and the waning crescent Moon. Venus shines 4° southwest and the Moon 5° southwest of the comet.

Technically, Comet Catalina is currently a 6th magnitude object visible to the unaided eye. In practice, however, the morning twilight overwhelms the comet’s faint glow. So for now you will need a telescope to see it.

It will become easier to see as it recedes from the sun, possibly brightening to 5th magnitude later in December.

This is Comet Catalina’s first visit to the inner solar system–and its last. The comet’s close encounter with the sun in mid-November has placed it on a slingshot trajectory toward interstellar space.

Saturn, at the Libra/Scorpius border is lost in the glow of sunset.

Uranus in Pisces and Neptune in Aquarius are high in the souther sky in the early evening.

1911 planets beyond our solar system have now been confirmed as of November 19, per NASA’s Exoplanet Archive http://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/

New Moon occurs December 11 at 4:29 AM CST when the Moon will on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky.

The Geminid Meteor Shower peaks on December 13-14. Geminids are one of the year’s best meteor showers. It’s a consistent and prolific shower, and usually the most satisfying of all the annual showers, even surpassing the more widely recognized Perseids of August. This shower typically produces 50 or more multicolored meteors an hour, or about one every minute.

As a general rule, the dazzling Geminid meteor shower starts around mid-evening and tends to pick up steam as evening deepens into late night. No matter where you live worldwide, the greatest number of meteors usually fall in the wee hours after midnight, or for a few hours centered around 2 a.m. local time. If you’re game, you can watch the Geminid shower all the way from mid-evening until dawn.

The Geminids is produced by debris left behind by an asteroid known as 3200 Phaethon, which was discovered in 1982. The shower runs annually from December 7-17. It peaks this year on the night of the 13th and morning of the 14th. The crescent moon will set early in the evening leaving dark skies for what should be an excellent show.

Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Gemini, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

The Ursid meteor shower, a minor meteor shower, will peak on the night and morning of December 21 – 22 producing about 5-10 meteors per hour. It is produced by dust grains left behind by comet Tuttle, which was first discovered in 1790.

The shower runs annually from December 17-25. This year the waxing gibbous moon will be bright enough to hide most of the fainter meteors. If you are patient, you might still be able to catch some of the brighter ones. Best viewing will be just after midnight from a dark location far away from city lights. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Ursa Minor, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

Looking towards the sky, the star of Winter have begun drifting into the night sky. Low in the southern sky is the bright star Fomalhaut.

Whenever Fomalhaut is “southing” (crossing the meridian due south, which it does around 7 p.m. now depending on your location), the first stars of Orion are just about to rise in the east, and the Pointers of the Big Dipper stand vertical straight below Polaris, towards The North Star.

Orion is also valuable as a rough navigation aid as the two left stars forming the elongated square forming Orion always lie on a general north / south line, and the bottom two stars of the square lie on a rough east / west line.

Winter Solstice will be December 21 at 10:48 PM CST. The South Pole of the earth will be tilted toward the Sun, which will have reached its southernmost position in the sky and will be directly over the Tropic of Capricorn at 23.44 degrees south latitude. This is the first day of winter (winter solstice) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of summer (summer solstice) in the Southern Hemisphere.

We will have a Christmas Full Moon as Full Moon this year occurs on December 25 5:11 AM CST. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full Cold Moon because this is the time of year when the cold winter air settles in and the nights become long and dark. This moon has also been known as the Moon Before Yule and the Full Long Nights Moon.

Christmas is my favorite time of the year.

Christmastime is a time of wonder & mystery. A time of bright lights, shining trees and the time of hide and seek, as presents are hid from inquiring minds and fingers.

A time one’s mind and memories drift back to days of childhood, and Christmases now long gone by. Remembering friends and family, some here, some now gone & longing that they were near once again, as it was once upon a time not so long ago. And, it is a time when, if we allow ourselves and don’t choose to “Grinch out” and be sour pusses, we can become kids once again.

Most importantly though, it’s a time to remember that the true “reason for the season” occurred in a manger, long ago on that first cold and chilly “Silent Night.”

So as you go about your Christmas preparations remember the magic that was there when you were a child & don’t let that magic die. Make it magic once again

For Christmas truly is “the most wonderful time of the year”.

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This month’s meeting will be on December 15 at 7PM at the National Weather Service Forecast office at the Shelby County Airport.

If for some reason you cannot attend the meeting in person, you can still participate via telephone. The teleconference number is 1-877-951-0997 & and the participant code is 741083.
Hope to see you there!
Mark / WD4NYL
Editor
ALERT Newsletter

www.freewebs.com/weatherlynx/

Mark’s Weatherlynx
Weather Resource Database

Hi everyone,
I hope this finds you well and that no hobgoblins created mischief for you overnight.

Have you checked in to the ALERT Sunday Night Net lately? Our net meets each Sunday at 7PM on 146.88 MHz, PL 88.5 Hz.

It is a discussion net, formal, but, with a somewhat laid back style.

As of today, if my memory serves me correctly, I will have completed 15 years as Net Manager.

Our Team of Net Control Stations consists of Jackson Chance, KK4NGD, David Hanna, KK4YPK,
Dale Wisely, N4HEY & Mark Wells, WD4NYL, with Owen Holland W3NH backing us up.

If you haven’t checked into our net, I invite you to do so.

I think you will enjoy it!

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K4NWS D-Star Updated
Ron Arant, N4PHP, and Ken Adkisson, WB4FAY, cleaned up the programming on the ICOM ID-800 at the K4NWS station. As part of the ‘clean up’ the memories were all reprogrammed in the ID-800 at the NWS station.
– Many of the repeater definitions were no longer valid or they were repeaters that were too distant to be remotely possible to use from the NWS office. These memory locations were deleted to eliminate confusion.
– Several usable D-STAR repeaters have been brought online since the ID-800 was originally programmed. These were added to memory locations.
– Echo, Link and Unlink command memories were added to support the use of the D-STAR reflector system.
– Analog FM repeaters were updated to include the PL tones for various local repeaters (e.g. 146.88, 146.98, 147.32, etc.)
– The FM Simplex net frequency (146.58) was programmed
The memories are set as follows:
# Display Name Call Band Location Function
01 DSO-VT K4DSO 2M Birmingham (Double Oak) Vhf general use Talk channel
02* DSO-VE K4DSO 2M Birmingham (Double Oak) VHF Echo
03** DSO-U K4DSO 2M Birmingham (Double Oak) Unlink the repeater from any
Reflector
04** DSO02A K4DSO 2M Birmingham (Double Oak) Link repeater to Reflector 02A
05** DSO58B K4DSO 2M Birmingham (Double Oak) Link repeater to Reflector 58B
06 DSOUHF K4DSO 440 Birmingham (Double Oak) UHF general use talk channel
07* DSO-UE K4DSO 440 Birmingham (Double Oak) UHF Echo
09 SBB-T KI4SBB 2M Birmingham (Red Mtn) VHF general use Talk channel
10* SBB-E KI4SBB 2M Birmingham (Red Mtn) VHF Echo
11** SBB-U KI4SBB 2M Birmingham (Red Mtn) Unlink the repeater from any
Reflector
12** SBB02A KI4SBB 2M Birmingham (Red Mtn) Link repeater to Reflector 02A
13** DSO58B KI4SBB 2M Birmingham (Red Mtn) Link repeater to Reflector 58B
15 AEC-VT W4AEC 2M Clanton (EOC) Vhf general use Talk channel
16* AEC-VE W4AEC 2M Clanton (EOC) VHF Echo
19 TUSC-T W4KCQ 2M Tuscaloosa VHF general use Talk channel
20** TUSC-E W4KCQ 2M Tuscaloosa VHF Echo
22 SIMPLX N/A 2M 145.67 D-STAR Simplex D-STAR Simplex frequency

101 SHL-98 W4SHL 2M Shelby County 146.98 Repeater
102 SHL-32 W4SHL 2M Shelby County 146.32 Repeater
103 BARC88 W4CUE 2M Birmingham 146.88 Repeater
104 147.14 WA4CYA 2M Hoover 147.14 Repeater
106 146.50 N/A 2M 146.50 Simplex
107 146.52 N/A 2M 146.52 Simplex
108 SMPLX N/A 2M Two Meter Simplex Net
109 TALLTR KX4I 2M Tuscaloosa Tall Tower Repeater

Notes:
* Echo memories are used to check how well the station is getting into the particular repeater. Simply select the appropriate ‘echo’ memory location; key the radio and speak a test message (e.g. “This is K4NWS echo testing.”). When the repeater records whatever it hears and then retransmitted the recording when you the input signal drops.
** Various repeater gateway commands (Unlink, Link to REF002A, and Link to REF058B) are programmed in various memories. To use these, select the appropriate memory location and simply ‘kerchuck’ the repeater. The command is transmitted and if properly received by the repeater, it will be executed and a confirmation message will be sent by the repeater. These memory channels are NOT for voice communications. They should be used only to command the repeater for a particular function

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Preparing For The Fall Tornado Season
As we enter our Fall Tornado Season, this month’s ALERT newsletter will focus on training, with a review ALERT’s operational procedures. Please print out these instructions, keep and study them.
This is a general overview. For more detailed instructions and many more resources please refer to the ALERT Handbook written by Roger Parsons, KK4UDU.
Also, remember that most of our “real training” is from “on the job experience”. In other words, please don’t be afraid to respond to a callout even if you feel need more training. 90 percent of our training is “learning by doing” under the supervision of seasoned mentor. That’s how I did it. My training was with David Black KB4KCH “showing me the ropes” during a callout many years ago.

ALERT CALLOUT PROCEDURES
What To Do Before The Callout
Some preparations you should think about before responding are:
1. Attend a storm spotter class. This way you will be more knowledgeable about the situations being encountered and the needs of the NWS. Also you will be better prepared to filter reports and eliminate the well-meant, but oft times goofy “Leaf debris reports”.

2. Familiarize yourself with radar interpretation, especially the new Dual-Pol products, so you can be looking at the radar and anticipating problem areas, as this will give you a head start on seeking pertinent information. I learned radar interpretation at JSU – James Spann University. When the TV meteorologists point out the various things they are seeing on radar, pay attention, learn and remember, for this is a good source for familiarization of standard NEXRAD displays. For the new Dual-Pol products I recommend the NOAA course http://www.wdtb.noaa.gov/courses/dualpol/outreach/ and the instructional posts at http://tennesseewx.com/index.php/topic,3110.0.html
3. Gain knowledge of the various area ARES / Skywarn frequencies and nets. Do be aware that due to propagation and repeater range, sometimes a counties “favored” repeater may not be the one that we can actually reach. Also, understand that some counties have ongoing political “situations” between rival organizations, and in some cases between ham groups and the county’s EMA. There is nothing we can do about this. Our job is to get reports for the NWS, not be a referee or a “ham marriage counselor”. Most groups like us, but, a very few do not. Do not be discouraged or engage in a conflict if you end up dealing with one of the latter groups. Remember that we represent the NWS, and we must practice diplomacy at all times.

4. Make a “go kit” or bag. Teresa & Mark’s go kit contains the ALERT Handbook, an Alabama atlas (the same one the NWS uses), a notepad, pens & a binder with all my “NWS / ALERT guides, and junk” that I’ve gathered over the years. Other useful items would be medicines, your favorite drink (non-alcoholic, please) & a favorite snack. Also included are things to do to keep you awake, for while some callouts are intense, hectic and exciting, others, especially when the storms keep dying near Meridian, are easy cures for insomnia.

Now that we have prepared ourselves, we wait for the callouts.

ALERT Callout Process
1. We want, encourage and welcome Operational members to take active roles in callouts. To receive callouts you must be on our callout list, if you are not receiving callout notifications, contact Russell KV4S so you can be put on the list. Contact Russell at Russell@kv4s.com. Remember that you must be a “paid up” ALERT member to be allowed to respond to a callout. If you are not a member or have let your membership lapse, please join ALERT, for non-members cannot respond.
Also, while guests are more than welcome at meetings, please do not bring guests to callouts. This is due to NWS security concerns and space limitations in the K4NWS cubical.
2. Monitor the weather situation and be prepared for a possible callout. Have more than one way to receive weather warnings. NOAA weather radio is the primary method, phone apps being secondary.
3. Don’t self-activate and just show up at the NWS because you think that help is needed and ALERT hasn’t acted or hasn’t acted fast enough. Remember that ALERT is activated when the NWS request activation. The NWS decides if and when we are needed, not ALERT. Never try to bypass the callout system. The callout system is in place for specific reasons.
The callout system allows us to:
Know who is actually there, so we can maintain accountability, security & control.
Avoid duplication of effort. When we know who is available & what times, we can schedule shifts allowing us to more efficiently utilize our available resources & avoid having a confused, chaotic response.
It helps operators choose which responses they can best give to which entity. This is especially becoming more & more important as many operators belong to more than one emergency response group
For instance, if there are multiple callouts – ALERT, ARES, CERT etc all issuing simultaneous callouts, if one calls the ALERT Liaison & asks if ALERT needs operators or is adequately staffed it will help you decide where you are best needed, since you can’t be everywhere at once.
It allows you to cover more bases, as it can allow you to say, “I can be at the NWS with ALERT from 3PM to 7PM and then at the EMA from 8PM till the duration”.
4. If a callout is issued and you are available, call the contact person listed in the callout notification so you can be scheduled. Always coordinate with the NWS liaison issuing the callout – Russell before responding to the NWS. If it is your first callout, let the liaison know, so you may be teamed with an experienced member. We don’t want to just “thrown you to the wolves”.
5. As mentioned earlier, remember that when you respond to the callout, visitors & guests are not allowed. NWS security restrictions and ALERT policy forbid this.
6. When you leave for the NWS, allow extra travel time, as travel conditions may be slow and dangerous.
7. If you are scheduled and will be late or unable to fill your shift, contact the Liaison you responded to & let him know.
8. When you arrive at the NWS buzz the buzzer to be let in & let them know you are with ALERT, and sign in providing a photo ID.

K4NWS Startup Procedures

1. Did You Sign In At The Front Desk?
2. Obtain a brief situational update from the meteorologist who greets you, or the person he designates.
3. Turn on the power supplies first.
4. Turn on the radios second, so you don’t damage the radios.
5. Starting with the 220 MHz radio on the far left, open the squelch and adjust the volume to a comfortable level, a level which will not distract the forecasters from doing their jobs. Verify that the radio is on 224.500 MHz.
6. Do likewise with the next radio to the right, which is 2 meters. This will be your “roaming” radio that you will use to search distant repeaters for reports. When not searching for distant reports, leave it on 146.880 MHz.
7. Next is the 440 MHz radio, which can be used for roaming UHF, but, is normally monitoring 444.100 MHz.
8. Next is the Icom 706. We currently do not operate on HF, so set this on 146.980 MHz so that if West Alabama is being affected, Shelby County can link with West Alabama and reach.
9. Lastly the D-Star radio is prepared. Test the radio on Channel 1. It can also be used on 146.88 or 98, and other reflectors and repeaters as needs dictate. But, usually it should remain on Channel 1.
The Radio Station is now prepared, now for the Computer Workstation
10. Verify that the computer is up and running, it should already be on.
11. If not, or if you cannot log into the computer or on the Spotterchats, if Jody Aaron or John DeBlock are available, seek their assistance.
One thing to remember is that as long as you can log into BMXspotterchat (the general use chatroom), this is sufficient. You don’t necessarily need to monitor the BMXEMACHAT & relay reports from BMXchat to BMXEMACHAT. After all you are sitting at the NWS – if someone has a report on BMXspotterchat, thank the operator & then simply tell the forecaster what was reported.
Remember also that ALERT members at offsite locations usually are covering the chatrooms. The focus of K4NWS is RF operations.
If you can’t log on the NWSchat system & want to monitor traffic on the BMXEMACHAT you can still do so (assuming you have an NWSchat account). This may be done by opening the Internet Explorer & going to https://nwschat.weather.gov/live/, log in & go to “Chatrooms” at the bottom left of the screen & click the link. From the list that appears find “Birmingham (BMX) EM Chat (bmxemachat)” and click on this & then click “join a chat” on the box that appears. A fully functional interactive version of the chat will then be activated.
Please note that while we can access the “BMXchat” or “Birmingham (BMX) Chat (bmxchat), it is preferred by the NWS that we use the BMXEMACHAT instead. Anything posted on the BMXchat automatically appears on the BMXEMACHAT. You miss nothing.
Now, if you can’t log on to the BMXspotterchat you may do so by going to http://weather.im/live/?nomap log in and find “BMXspotterchat” on the chatroom list at the bottom left of the screen and you may login in from the “join a chat group” box that appears, making sure you remember to identify yourself as K4NWS in the “chat handle” field.
The “ABC33/40skywatcher” chat can be accessed in the same way.
12. To monitor radar go to the College Of Dupage website at http://weather.cod.edu/satrad/nexrad/index.php?type=BMX-N0Q-0-6 The radar may initially display the Chicago area. Click the “radar site map” tab in the upper right of the display to access the available radar sites and select the appropriate Alabama radar. This is a full feature Dual-Pol radar site. As a backup use the NWS NEXRAD site http://radar.weather.gov/ridge/radar.php?rid=bmx&product=N0R&overlay=11101111&loop=no
13. If you are wanting to monitor APRS, though we currently do not have APRS capability, you may use the following websites to monitor APRS activity. http://aprs.fi/#!lat=33.46670&lng=-86.80660 & http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/find.cgi?call=wb4fay-4 These and many other weather tools and resources are readily available at www.freewebs.com/weatherlynx/.
Do understand that it is not the job of the operators at K4NWS to track people on APRS. During a hectic callout we simply do not have the time to track other counties operators. That is the job of the individual counties Net Control Stations. Each county should be aware of their spotter’s location and/or deployments, and simply relay the reports to us. If we were to try to track one counties operators, it would slow the process down severely and we would miss valuable reports from other counties also needing our attention.
14. When the computer is ready, as best you can, balancing radio coverage with computer coverage, monitor the radar & the Chatrooms. Remember that everyone has limited multitasking capacity & that this capacity varies with each person. Our prime mission is gathering reports via RF.
to him or her. Remember you are NOT intruding. They WANT your reports. That’s why they called you in.
16. You usually will receive requests for information & be given updates by the meteorologists. Honor those requests as best you can.
17. Listen to the background chit-chat in the room and monitor the radar. When an area of concern is mentioned or a suspicious looking cell appears on radar, go to repeaters covering the area of concern & SEEK reports. Don’t just wait for a warning to be issued to react. SEARCH for reports. We are to ACT, not just REACT. If a net is in session, check in with the Net Control Station and let them know that you are available for reports. Always go through the Net Control Station. We don’t “take over” other’s nets. If no net is in session, a general call for reports is acceptable.
If for some reason a counties Net Control Station or Net Manager asks us to not use their frequency, comply with their request and inform ALERT leadership of the situation.
Also be aware that no other ham organization, whether on a local, county, district, state or national level has authority over ALERT. ALERT is a separate entity operating under the authority of the National Weather Service, and they and the Federal Communications Commission are the only entities that have authority over our operations.
18. While monitoring 88 & 98 is desirable, you have to “go where the action is”, which means leaving those frequencies. If you are checked in to a local net, tell the NCS’s you are leaving. They can still reach K4NWS via 220 or 440.
19. Remember to log your reports.
20. When your relief operator arrives, leave, and go get some rest. You may be needed later again & will need to be fresh.
I’ll reemphasize the word “leave”. The guys & gals really don’t have the time to chit chat while an event is ongoing.

Shutdown Procedures

1. If possible, don’t shut down until the meteorologists say that you are no longer needed.
2. After they do, finish your paperwork & straighten up the cubical.
3. If the 88 & 98 Nets are up, let the NCS’s know you are shutting down. This also applies to any other net you are still monitoring.
4. Do likewise on the Spotterchat, as the Buddy List may say “K4NWS” even if no one is there, causing confusion.
5. Shut off the radios.
6. Shut off the power supplies.
7. DO NOT SHUT OFF THE COMPUTER!
8. Sign out and leave.
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Here are a few more words about the Spotterchats.
ALERT and the NWS cover 39 counties. Some have a low Amateur Radio population, who may not even be interested is the Skywarn program. Some counties are outside the VHF/UHF range of K4NWS, or rarely in range, such as is the cases of the Tuscaloosa & Gadsden 82 repeater’s or the Montgomery 84 repeater.
But, as long as the internet is accessible the Spotterchat system is always in range and has the potential to provide full 39 county coverage, which can be monitored remotely be ALERT members, freeing up the operators at K4NWS, and they can be monitored with or without a callout.
So here is a little brush up on the spotter chat protocols.
Operational ALERT members on the chats act as a liaison to the BMXEMACHAT and directly copies and pastes reports onto the BMXEMACHAT. They filter the information when needed, as any regular NCS should do, to insure that only necessary information is passed.
Here are some guidelines to help filter reports. Including reports from both the BMXspotterchat and the ABC33/40 chat, which James Spann has given ALERT permission to use & from which we “copy and paste” to the BMXEMACHAT when appropriate.
The first question to be asked is “is this report usable for NWS purposes? “Clear sky”, “full moon”, “it’s thundering”, “the stars are out”, “it’s getting very dark out here” (especially at sunset) aka “leaf debris reports” are complete wastes of the operators time, energy and Internet bandwidth.
If it is a suitable report, the “what, when and where rules” apply. What has or is happening, when did it happened and where? We will need a clear specific location. A location that is clearly defined with street/cross-street, mile marker, etc. If the location has a strange or unfamiliar sounding name, don’t hesitate to ask the reporting station to spell the street name. Otherwise you may have to waste time chasing down details in a fast pace, hectic, often hellacious situation. Remember that time is our greatest enemy.
We don’t need scanner reports or third hand reports. They are unverifiable and in the case of scanner reports, the EMA usually already knows about the call and will know whether it is a false alarm or not. If it’s the “real deal”, the EMA will pass the information directly to the NWS. Scanner reports are how false rumors are spread, which is something that we – ALERT, the NWS and the EMA’s all seek to avoid.
The BMXchat & BMXEMACHAT are for “weather and weather only” and not places for idle chit-chat or critiquing NWS forecast decisions. This would include the ABC3340 Chat. Publicly criticizing the NWS while flying the ALERT banner is totally unacceptable and can damage the public confidence of the NWS and damage ALERT’s relationship with the NWS.
Remember also that we don’t casually “chat with the guys at the NWS”. They are busy. If the meteorologists ask us a question, we answer, but usually not the other way around.
Information & discussions seen on the NWSchat are NOT to be discussed on the air or on the other chats. The information is confidential and is to be treated as such. The only exceptions would be in cases where you see the forecaster saying something like “rotation is really tightening up over Hueytown”. Then simply say on the other chats or on the air that the “NWS is needing reports from the Hueytown area”.
A final word on this subject is to remember that everyone has a slightly different methodology, based on knowledge, experience and personal preference. Don’t be afraid that you might mess up. It’s when you think that you never mess up, or are afraid to act at all, that you are on the slippery edge of a problem. So hop on in there.
Know that by responding and manning K4NWS you may have saved a life. You may never know whose family you have saved, whose child will still have a mother and father or whose life will continue because of the advanced warning you helped make possible. But, because of the service you provided, you literally saved these lives.
Which is something to be proud of.

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Mark’s Almanac

November, the eleventh month, is named for “Novem”, being the ninth month of the ancient Roman calendar.
With the arrival of November we enter our second tornado season. Alabama and the Southeast is “blessed” by being the only area on Earth having two tornado seasons. And, the cause of the fall season is the same as the spring season – clashes of cold and warm air masses. The cold air of winter invades and tries to push the warmth of the summer back into the sea, which is the same process of springtime, just in reverse.
The second tornado season is often more destructive than the spring season.

Based on NWS statistics from 1950 to 2014 November the third most active month for tornadoes, having seen 247, following just behind second ranked March’s 263 count. April leads with 455 tornadoes.

Jefferson County, incidentally, has now taken the lead for tornadoes per county – 95 tornadoes from 1950 to 2014. Baldwin is second with 90, and Mobile third with 83.

So beware of a warm & muggy November day. Especially one with a south wind, as something may really be “in the air”.

The Hurricane threat greatly diminishes, with hurricane activity occurring mainly in the open Atlantic, threatening the Eastern Seaboard, but usually veering off into sea as cold fronts off the East Coast deflect them. Hurricanes can still form in the Caribbean, which usually visit the Yucatan, but can enter the Gulf.
Hurricane season ends November 30.
November welcomes the peak of fall colors. For Birmingham the peak occurs around November 15, but the date can vary depending on your elevation & latitude.

Indian Summer and Squaw Winter continue to battle it out, but the cool or cold weather will eventually win, with the first average frost being on November 11.

The usual fall effects occur in North America with Canada’s Hudson Bay becoming unnavigable due to pack ice & icebergs. Navigation in the Great Lakes becomes perilous due to storms bringing the “Gales Of November” made famous in song “The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald”.

And, don’t be surprised if you hear ducks overhead & see wedges of Canadian geese heading south for the winter. And if you see strange birds appearing in your front yard, remember that for 336 species of birds Alabama IS south for the winter.

For fun, some November weather folklore is:

“A cold November means a warm Christmas, conversely, a warm November is a sign of a bad winter to come.”

“Wind in the North-west on St. Martin’s Day (Nov 11)
There’s a severe winter on the way

Wind in the South-west on St. Martins Day
There it will remain till February, and a mild winter will be had.”

“Ice before Martinmas (St. Martin’s Day), enough to bear a duck
The rest of winter, is sure to be muck.”

“Martinmas”, incidentally, was the time when autumn wheat seeding was completed, and the annual slaughter of fattened cattle produced “Martinmas beef”.

Looking towards the sky, Mercury is low in the eastern predawn sky, look for him 45 minutes before sunrise.

Venus, Mars and Jupiter be in a rare three planet conjunction at the first of the month, with the planets forming a tight 1 degree triangle in the early morning sky, with the star Regulus lingering nearby. Look to the East at sunrise for this very rare spectacular.

Jupiter and Mars pass through conjunction on Saturday and Sunday the 17th and 18th just 0.4 degrees apart. Then Jupiter moves upward towards Venus and are only 1.1 degrees apart on the 25th and 26th.

Saturn, at the Libra/Scorpius border is very low in the southwest during twilight, near twinkling Antares.

Uranus in Pisces and Neptune in Aquarius are high in the southeast and south respectively by 9 or 10 PM.

The Taurid Meteor Shower peaks the night of November 5 & 6. The Taurids is a long-running minor meteor shower producing only about 5-10 meteors per hour. It is unusual in that it consists of two separate streams. The first is produced by dust grains left behind by Asteroid 2004 TG10. The second stream is produced by debris left behind by Comet 2P Encke. The shower runs annually from September 7 to December 10.

The second quarter moon will block out all but the brightest meteors this year. If you are patient, you may still be able to catch a few good ones. Best viewing will be just after midnight from a dark location far away from city lights. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Taurus, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

New Moon occurs November 11 at 11:47 AM CST when the Moon will on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky.

The Leonid Meteor Shower will occur the night of November 17 & 18. The Leonids is an average shower, producing an up to 15 meteors per hour at its peak. This shower is unique in that it has a cyclonic peak about every 33 years where hundreds of meteors per hour can be seen. That last of these occurred in 2001 and the next will occur in 2034.

The Leonids is produced by dust grains left behind by comet Tempel-Tuttle, which was discovered in 1865. The shower runs annually from November 6-30. It peaks this year on the night of the 17th and morning of the 18th.

The first quarter moon will set shortly after midnight leaving fairly dark skies for what could be a good show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Leo, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

The Leonids are well known for producing bright meteors and fireballs. Its productivity varies per year, but it can deposit 12 to 13 tons of particles across the planet. Which is why having an atmosphere to shield us is such a nifty thing.

If you can’t see them, you can listen to them. Try http://spaceweatherradio.com/index.php and click “listen”. You may hear them “pinging” off the US Air Force Space Surveillance radar system.

Full Moon will occur November 25 at 4:44 PM CST. This month’s moon is “Full Beaver Moon” so named by Native American tribes because this was the time of year to set the beaver traps before the swamps and rivers froze. It has also been known as the Frosty Moon and the Hunter’s Moon.

1903 planets beyond our solar system have now been confirmed as of October 22, per NASA’s Exoplanet Archive http://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/.

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This month’s meeting will be on November 10 at 7PM at the National Weather Service Forecast office at the Shelby County Airport.

If for some reason you cannot attend the meeting in person, you can still participate via telephone. The teleconference number is 1-877-951-0997 & and the participant code is 741083.
Hope to see you there!
Mark / WD4NYL
Editor
ALERT Newsletter

www.freewebs.com/weatherlynx/

Mark’s Weatherlynx
Weather Resource Database

A flashback to June 2007…..

“Welcome to the new ALERT Newsletter!

This newsletter is designed to keep members & interested “lurkers” informed as to the news and activities of your ALERT. Comments, suggestions & additions are more than welcome.”

With that simple introduction, the current ALERT Newsletter was born….

Welcome to the 100th Edition of the ALERT Newsletter!

This newsletter was actually designed to be “friendly spam” invading peoples email inboxes and gently tapping them on the shoulder and reminding them that “ALERT is still here, don’t forget about us”. Reverse psychology of the “out of sight, out of mind” principle.

Even if one never opens the email, you can’t ignore us….were still here!

Also, it was hoped to update our activities, provide some interesting articles and serve as a training tool.

Over the years we’ve dealt with training, procedural problems, ham political problems aka whining, emergency preparedness and of delved into astronomy with “Mark’s Almanac”.

The ALERT Newsletter has been well received, with very few negative comments.

One thing to be remembered is that this is YOUR newsletter. That being said, I need articles and ideas. Sometimes I can’t think of a single thing to put in the main article. You would be surprised at how many “bottom of the 9th inning” articles have suddenly popped into my head and been quickly written.

So, to put it mildly HELP!!!

What is the future of the newsletter?

At some point I will pass the torch to someone else and hopefully there will be someone there to take the torch.

One unique thing about the ALERT Newsletter is that IT STILL EXISTS. Once upon a time there were quite a few newsletters being produced by various local clubs and groups. Now they are all gone, or have devolved into a monthly email meeting reminder.

This is actually the second incarnation of an ALERT newsletter. When ALERT was founded back in 1996 there was a short-lived newsletter called the “ALERT News”.

Hopefully the current newsletter, now in its 8th year, will in whatever form my eventual successors choose, be here for decades to come.

It’s not going anywhere soon, and neither am I.

So sit back, relax and welcome to edition 100!
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From Mark’s Weather Archives
“Weather Folklore And Wisdom From Divers Sources”

(Some true, some just for fun, you get to observe and decide which is which)

“But He replied to them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?” Matthew 16: 2 &3

“The hollow winds begin to blow, the clouds look black, the grass is low;
The soot falls down, the spaniels sleep, and spiders from their cobwebs peep.
Last night the sun went pale to bed, the moon halos hid her head;
The boding shepherd heaves a sigh, For see, a rainbow spans the sky.
The walls are damp, the ditches smell, closed is the pink-eyed pimpernel.
Hark how the chairs and tables crack! Old Betty’s nerves are on the rack;
Loud quacks the duck, the peacocks cry, the distant hills are seeming nigh.
How restless are the snorting swine, the busy flies disturb the kine,
Low o’er the grass the swallow wings, the cricket, too, how sharp he sings!
Cat on the hearth, with velvet paws, sits wiping o’er her whiskered jaws;
Through the clear streams the fishes rise, and nimbly catch the incautious flies.
The glowworms, numerous and light, illumined the dewy dell last night;
At dusk the squalid was seen, hopping and crawling o’er the green;
The whirling dust the wind obeys, and in the rapid eddy plays;
The frog has changed his yellow vest, and in a russet coat is dressed.
Though June, the air is cold and still, the mellow blackbird’s voice is shrill;
My dog, so altered in his taste, quits mutton bones on grass to feast;
And see yon rooks, how odd their flight! They imitate the gliding kite,
And seem precipitate to fall, as if they felt the piercing ball.
‘Twill surely rain; I see with sorrow, Our jaunt must be put off to-morrow.” – Dr. Edward Jones

“Infallible signs of Rainy Weather, from the Observations of divers Animals!
If Ducks or Drakes their Wings do flutter high
Or tender Colts upon their Backs do lie,
If Sheep do bleat, or play, or skip about,
Or Swine hide Straw by bearing on their Snout,
If Oxen lick themselves against the Hair,
Or grazing Kine to feed apace appear,
If Cattle bellow, grazine from below,
Or if Dogs Entrails rumble to and fro,
If Doves or Pigeons in the Evening come
Later than usual to their Dove-House Home,
If Crows and Daws do oft themselves be-wet,
Or Ants and Pismires Home a-pace do get,
If in the dust Hens do their Pinions shake,
Or by their flocking a great Number make,
If Swallows fly upon the Water low,
Or Wood-Lice seem in Armies for to go,
If Flies or Gnats, or Fleas infest and bite,
Or sting more than they’re wont by Day or Night,
If Toads hie Home, or Frogs do croak amain,
Or Peacocks cry
Soon after look for Rain! “

“Frog goes a hoppin’, rain comes a droppin’”

Crickets chirp faster when it’s warm and slower when it is cold.
Crickets can serve as thermometers. Tradition says that if you count the cricket’s chirps for 14 seconds and then add 40, you will obtain the temperature in Fahrenheit at the cricket’s location.

Or you can cheat and use the NWS Cricket Chirp Calculator http://www.srh.noaa.gov/epz/?n=wxcalc_cricketconvert
Katydids also can give you the temperature. Per the Mississippi State Extension Services “The Gloworm” count the number of calls per minute, add 161 and divide by 3.
They also say that the first killing frost comes precisely three months after the first katydids begin to sing. In late summer when they begin to call during the day from deep shade, frost is six weeks away. Keep your ears open and mark that calendar.
If a cat sits with its back to a heat source expect cold weather.
If a cat takes shelter behind furniture or slinks along the ground for no apparent reason, a thunderstorm may be approaching.
If a dog starts trembling, panting and trying to hide for no apparent reason, he also may hear a thunderstorm approaching. Or an earthquake, some say.
“If your dog howls at the moon it signifies an early snow.”
Ants shore up their anthills before a rain.
Roaches suddenly appearing in houses that normally have none signal rain.
Insects will flee to higher ground before a prolonged rain. (I observed this on Red Mountain as Katrina approached the coast)
If the sun shines while snow is falling, expect more snow very soon.
The length of a recently deceased goose breastbone at Thanksgiving indicates the length of the ensuing winter, while the color of the breastbone indicates its severity. A plain white breastbone indicates a mild winter. A mottled breastbone indicates a more severe winter, and the more mottled the breastbone the more severe the winter to come.
The deeper squirrels bury their nuts, the lower the lowest temperature will be for the upcoming winter.
A ring around the sun or moon indicates rain or snow within 12 to 24 hours.
If the Moon has two rings encircling it, expect snowfall within 24 hours.
Sundogs indicate possible rain in 24 to 48 hours.
Expect a tough Winter is ahead if:
“Corn husks are thick and tight…
Apple skins are tough…
Birds migrate early…
Squirrels tails are very bushy…
Berries and nuts are plentiful…
Bees build their nests high in the trees.”

“Squirrels gathering nuts in a flurry, will cause snow to gather in a hurry.”
“Flowers bloomin’ in late Autumn, a sure sign of a bad Winter comin’.”
“As high as the weeds grow, so will the bank of snow.”
Thunder in the Fall foretells a cold Winter.
“Onion skins very thin, Mild Winter coming in;
Onion skins thick and tough, Coming Winter cold and rough.”

Bees and wasps retreating to their hives and nests indicate rain.

Likewise, bees, wasps, spiders and birds reappearing mean the storms end is near.

The severity of Winter is determined by how far down the feathers have grown on a partridge’s leg. I know I check my partridges often…

The wider the brown (middle) band on a woolly bear caterpillar, the milder the Winter.

If there is thunder in Winter, it will snow 7 days later.

“No weather is ill, if the wind be still.”

“Rain before seven, fine before eleven.”

“A cow with its tail to the West makes the weather best,
A cow with its tail to the East makes the weather least.”

“A sunshiny shower won’t last half an hour!”

“Mackerel skies and mare’s tails make ships carry lowered sails.”

“Mares tales, storms and gales. Mackerel sky, not 24 hours dry.”

“The rain it raineth every day
On the just and unjust fella.
But mostly on the just fella,
because the unjust stole the just’s umbrella!”

The louder the frog, the more the rain.

“When the wind is blowing in the North
No fisherman should set forth,
When the wind is blowing in the East,
‘Tis not fit for man nor beast,
When the wind is blowing in the South
It brings the food over the fish’s mouth,
When the wind is blowing in the West,
That is when the fishing’s best!”

“Wind in the East – the Fish bite the least.
Wind in the West – the Fish bite the best.”

If smoke goes up – clear, smoke comes down – moisture on the way.

“In the morning mountains (of clouds), in the evening fountains.”

“When Windows won’t open,
And the salt clogs the shaker,
The weather will favour
The umbrella maker!”

“If the moon shows a silver shield,
Be not afraid to reap the field,
But if she rises haloed round,
Soon well tread on deluged ground.”

“If fleecy white clouds cover the heavenly way, no rain should mar your plans that day.”

A frosty night means clear weather.

Clear night, cold night, cloudy night, a warmer night.

Sounds are louder on a cloudy day, also, distant sounds, like smoke, are carried by the wind.

The higher the clouds, the finer the weather.

“Rain foretold, long last. Short notice, soon will pass.”

“When the dew is on the grass,
Rain will never come to pass.
When grass is dry at morning light,
Look for rain before the night.”

Many birds roosting on wires or gathering on beaches means rain.

Birds are natural windvanes, when on trees or power lines they point towards the wind so their feathers don’t get ruffled.

Many, many blackbirds covering the ground means a cold front is approaching. (My piano teacher told me it meant snow, but, I have found it does signal a cold front.)

The loud, shrill buzz of the cicada warned of long, hot days ahead.

Flies clustered on windows and screens predicted a cold front was on the way.

“When bubbles are rising on the surface of coffee and they hold together, good weather is coming; if bubbles break up, weather you don’t need is coming.”

“A sunshiny shower, last half an hour.”

“Rainbow at night – shepherd’s delight. Rainbow in morning – shepherds warning.”

“When ditches and ponds offend the nose, look for rain and stormy blows.”

Aching joints foretell bad weather.

Chickweed and mimosa close their leaves before a rain.

Dandelion and daisy blossoms close before a storm.

“When the leaves of trees turn over, it foretells windy conditions and possible severe weather

“A large crop of acorns = a harsh winter is due”

“Flowers smell best just before rain”

“When the dogwood flowers, there shall be no more frosts.”

“Ash (leaves appearing) before oak, the summers a soak. Oak before ash, the summer’s a splash.”

“When the rooster goes crowing to bed, he will rise with a watery head.”

“If spiders are many and spinning their webs, the spell will soon be very dry.”

“If wasps build their nests high, the winter will be long and harsh.”

“When the birds are flying low, expect rain and a blow.”

“When geese cackle, it will rain.”

“If the sparrow makes a lot of noise, rain will follow.”

“Trout jump high when a rain is nigh.”

“Pigs gather leaves and straw before a storm

“When birds roost close to the ground – rain or snow are due.”

“Pale moon rains, red moon blows. White moon neither rains nor blows.”

If cumulus clouds are smaller at sunset than at noon, expect fair weather

“A round topped cloud and flattened base, carries rainfall in its face.”

“When mountains and cliffs in the clouds appear, some sudden and violent showers are near.”

And, finally…

“Whether the weather be fine
Or whether the weather be not
Whether the weather be cold
Or whether the weather be hot
We’ll weather the weather
Whatever the weather
Whether we like it or not”

Try these out, watch and see, if a good weather prognosticator thou canst be…

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Mark’s Almanac

The tenth Month, October is so named because it is the eighth month on the Roman calendar. To the Slavs of Eastern Europe it is called “yellow month,” from the fading of the leaf, while to the Anglo-Saxons it was known as Winterfylleth, because at this full moon (fylleth) winter was supposed to begin.

By whichever name you call it, October is a mild and dry month, the driest of the year, in fact. And, it is a sunny month with the amount of possible sunshine reaching the ground in the 60% or greater range.

Weather shifts from autumn pattern to revisiting the summer pattern and back again. The Azores-Bermuda High shifts eastward into the Atlantic, but, leaves weakened high pressure centers over the Virginias, which still try to block out approaching fronts.

October is usually a quite month for tornadoes, with a 40% decrease in activity. Nationwide an average of 28 tornadoes occur in October and those tornadoes are usually weak.

Our Hurricane threat continues, with hurricane activity increasing during the first half of the month, concentrating in the Caribbean, both from formation in the Caribbean and from the long track Cape Verde hurricanes, which enter the Caribbean. And, we still have the little “gifts” that the Gulf of Mexico occasionally will provide. But after the second half of the month the activity will begin a steady decrease.

28% of the year’s hurricanes occur in October.

This is the month for Alabama’s version of “Indian Summer’s” arrival.

Technically speaking Indian Summer doesn’t occur until “Squaw Winter” or the first frost arrives, but exact date when Indian Summer arrives varies with latitude.

We live in Alabama, and while the earliest frosts have been known to occur by October 17, they usually wait until November. So, we, in our milder climate call the first warm up after the first cool down “Indian Summer”.

The Yellow Giant Sulphur Butterflies are very noticeable as they continue to drift South-Southeast on their migration towards Florida. They prefer red things & if you have red flowers they will zero in on them.

The Monarchs also will be seen gliding by in their migration towards Central America.

Fall colors will become prominent & by late October & early November the leaves will be reaching their peak fall colors.

Looking towards the sky, at the beginning of the month Mercury is hidden in the glare of the Sun. But, at the month progresses He will emerge in the predawn morning sky and reach his highest elevation above the horizon on October 16. At that time He will be 18.1 degrees from the Sun. Look for Him low in the Eastern sky just before sunrise.

Venus is at Her greatest brilliance at magnitude -4.8. Rising well before sunrise between 3 and 4 AM, She will probably trigger reports of UFO sightings. In a telescope She will display a crescent shape.
She will move higher and higher in the predawn morning sky until reaching her maximum altitude on October 26, when she will be 46.4 degrees from the Sun.

Mars, 400 times fainter than Venus, is 10 degrees to the lower left of Venus at dawn, and moving towards each other day by day. On Friday the 25th He will pass very close to the star Regulus, which is slightly brighter than Mars.

Jupiter is even lower in the east during dawn, moving towards Venus. They will be very close to each other on the morning of the 26th, as they reach conjunction, being only 1 degree apart. On the morning of October 28th Mars will join them forming a rare three planet conjunction, with the planets forming a tight 1 degree triangle in the early morning sky, with the star Regulus lingering nearby. Look to the East at sunrise for this very rare spectacular.

Left out of all the fun, Saturn shines at the Libra/Scorpius border in the southwest at dusk, moving lower and lower near the orange star Antares.

Uranus in Pisces has risen in the east by 10 PM. On October 11 Uranus will reach His closest approach to Earth and at magnitude +5.7 will be on the threshold of naked eye visibility in dark skies, away from city lights, all night long. This is the best time to try to observe this distant world. But, due to its distance, it will appear only as a blue-green dot in all but the most powerful telescopes.

Neptune at magnitude +7.8 in Aquarius has risen in the southeast by 10 PM.

On October 1 Comet US10 Catalina may reach naked eye visibility. For now this comet is a Southern Hemisphere event, however after it swings around the Sun on November 15, it will surge into view for Northern Hemisphere observers and may be easily visible in the Northeastern early morning sky at magnitude +3 from late November into January. It will be very close to the star Arcturus on New Year’s night.

Will it live up to expectations or fizzle is too soon to say. But, so far it has closely matched its predicted brightness levels.

The Draconid Meteor Shower will peak on October 8. This minor shower is produced by dust grains left behind by Comet 21P Giacobini-Zinner, which was discovered in 1900. This shower, which runs from October 6 – 10, is unusual in that it is best observed in the early evening, instead of the early morning hours as with most other showers.

New Moon occurs October 13 at 7:06 PM CDT when the Moon will on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky.

The Orionid Meteor Shower peaks on October 21 & 22. This shower, which runs from October 2 to November 7, is produced by the broad debris trail of Halley’s Comet. Halley’s Comet is set to make its next closest approach to Earth, a much closer approach than the distant passage in 1986 when it and the Earth were on opposite sides of the solar system, on July 28, 2061. I will be 103 years old. So mark your calendars T-Minus 56 years and counting!

By the way, they say that the passage in 2134 will be even better than the one in 2061. I bet you can’t wait for that one!

October’s Full Moon will occur October 27 at 7:05 AM CDT. This month’s moon is “Full Hunter’s Moon” so named by Native American tribes because at this time of year the leaves are falling and the game is fat and ready to hunt. This moon has also been known as the Travel Moon and the Blood Moon.

This will be the last of 2015’s three Supermoons.

1892 planets beyond our solar system have now been confirmed as of September 18, per NASA’s Exoplanet Archive http://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/.

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This month’s meeting will be on October 13 at 7PM at the National Weather Service Forecast office at the Shelby County Airport.

If for some reason you cannot attend the meeting in person, you can still participate via telephone. The teleconference number is 1-877-951-0997 & and the participant code is 741083.
Hope to see you there!
Mark / WD4NYL
Editor
ALERT Newsletter

www.freewebs.com/weatherlynx/

Mark’s Weatherlynx
Weather Resource Database

Hi everyone,

I hope all are doing well. As I write this, I see the first signs of Fall. The air is a little less humid and the temperatures just a tad less oppressive. Most notable is the view out of my office window as bright yellow spots go flapping and gliding by as the butterflies are migrating, taking an exact South-southeast course to who knows where.

Oh, and are you ready for some football?

I hope you have a good month, and I hope to see you at our next meeting, which will be on September 8.

Roll Tide & War Eagle.

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Hurricane Season’s Peak

With the beginning of September we enter the peak of hurricane season, and whether it is an active season or a quiet season, we must always keep a wary eye towards the coast. For even a mild season can produce a catastrophic hurricane. And it only takes one to reap havoc and destruction that takes years to rebuild from.

One disturbing trend that I seem to see more and more of is the major news networks choosing to “embellish” for attention. For instance I heard them describe Tropical Storm Ana as a “massive storm”, a “monster storm” and so forth, when it was “just” a tropical storm. Not to be ignored for sure, but, not to be confused with Noah’s Flood either.

Personally I believe they should reserve such dramatics for true “monster storms” such as your Ivans Katrinas and Opals, so that the general public’s senses don’t become numbed by over exaggeration. For instance, I regularly hear statements such as “a storm of historic proportions”, “110 million Americans at risk as major storms sweep across the nation”. Making me think “oh please, why don’t we get just a little bit more dramatic.”

Now if James Spann or Brian Peters say “we’re not trying to unduly alarm folk, but, how well can you tread water?” I’m heading to Mt. Cheaha to practice raft building skills, for I trust them.

But, for the others, they should realize that not every storm is “historic, epic, of Biblical proportions”, and they should not be being described as such just for ratings.

With that introduction, to put tropical cyclone damage potential in a more realistic light I present the following:

Tropical Cyclone Potential Impacts
Based on information from the NWS Brownsville Office

Descriptions are based on the hardest hit places, usually near the storms core and right quadrant.

TROPICAL DEPRESSION
(20 to 38 MPH)
Storms are not named at this point, but are given numbers such as “94L”

Potential for Little to No Impact: No discernible threat to life and property; appreciable wind damage is unlikely. Sustained winds to remain below tropical storm force (39 mph); breezy to windy conditions may still be present.

TROPICAL STORM
(39 to 73 mph)
Ana 2015
Bill 2015
Alberto 1994

Potential for Low but Concerning Impact: Preparations should be made for the threat of minor to locally moderate wind damage. If realized, expect damage to unanchored mobile homes, screened patios, carports, and awnings; loose shingles will be blown off roofs. Loose objects will be blown around and become dangerous projectiles. Driving conditions will be hazardous on bridges and causeways, especially for high profile vehicles. Scattered power outages will occur, especially in areas with above ground lines. Large branches will break from trees; some shallow-rooted and diseased trees will be blown down. Rainfall can cause severe flooding.

CATEGORY 1 HURRICANE
(74 to 95 mph)
Babe 1977
Danny 1985
Danny 1997

Potential for Moderate Impact: Preparations should be made for the threat of moderate wind damage. If realized, most mobile homes will experience moderate to substantial damage; those of poor construction will be destroyed. Houses of poor to average construction will have significant damage to shingles, siding, and gutters; more serious structural damage is possible. Unprotected and exposed windows are at risk of being blown out. Many screened patios will be damaged. Some well-constructed homes will also see shingle and siding damage. Unfastened light to moderate weight items will become airborne, causing additional damage and possible injury. Hundreds of power lines will be blown down; local outages will affect entire neighborhoods. Many large branches of healthy trees will be snapped, and rotting small to medium sized trees will be uprooted. Numerous palm fronds will be blown down, and minor to moderate damage will occur to citrus orchards and newly planted lowland crops.

CATEGORY 2 HURRICANE
(96 to 110 mph)
Diana 1990,
Arthur 2014

Potential for High Impact: Dangerous and life-threatening winds may occur. Aggressive preparations should be made for the threat of major wind damage. If realized, the majority of older mobile homes will be severely damaged or destroyed. Those that remain will be uninhabitable until repaired. Houses of poor to average construction will have major damage including partial wall collapse and roofs being lifted off. Many will be uninhabitable until repaired. Well-constructed houses will have minor to moderate damage to shingles, siding, and gutters. Many unprotected and exposed windows will be blown out. Partial roof failure is expected in industrial parks, especially to those buildings with light weight steel and aluminum coverings. Older low-rising apartment roofs may also be torn off, as well as siding and shingle damage. Airborne debris will cause damage, injury, and possible death. Power outages will be widespread, and could continue for multiple weeks in some areas. Numerous power lines will be pulled down, and a number of power poles will fall. All trees with rotting bases will uproot or snap. Nearly all large healthy branches will snap. Some healthy trees will uproot, especially where ground is saturated. Major damage is expected to citrus orchards. Most newly planted crops will be damaged.

CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE
(111 to 130 mph)
Opal (at landfall) 1995
Ivan (at landfall) 2004
Katrina (at landfall) 2005

Potential for Extreme Impact: Extremely dangerous and life-threatening winds may occur. Aggressive preparations should be made for the threat of devastating to catastrophic wind damage. Devastating Damage – If realized, all older mobile homes will be destroyed. Houses of poor to average construction will be destroyed or severely damaged. Moderate to major damage of well-constructed houses will include up to one half of all gabled roofs. Also, a significant number of exterior walls will fail. Aluminum and light weight steel roofs will be torn off buildings at industrial parks. Partial roof and exterior wall failure are likely at low rise apartment buildings, especially those of poor to average construction. Most windows in tall buildings will be blown out, with other minor to moderate damage possible due to swaying. Airborne debris of light to moderate weight will cause additional major damage, as well as injuries and possible loss of life. Near total power loss is expected. Many power poles will be knocked down, and numerous transformers will pop. Outages will last for weeks in some areas. The availability of potable water will be diminished as filtration systems begin to fail. Thousands of trees will be severely damaged. Up to three quarters of all healthy small to medium sized trees will snap or uproot, especially on saturated ground. Severe damage is expected to citrus orchards; some orchards may face total destruction. Most newly planted ground crops will be wiped out. Livestock left to weather the storm will be injured, some critically. Some livestock deaths are likely.

Opal downed thousands upon thousands of trees across Alabama.

Katrina breeched the levees at New Orleans (as had been warned for decades) and flooded the below sea level city. Almost forgotten is the devastation in Mississippi, which is still being repaired 10 years later.

Also with Katrina, the storms surge travelled well inland up rivers and creeks causing wells to become unusable because they became salty. People had to distill the water until the aquafer cleansed itself.

CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE
(131 to 155 mph)
Galveston Hurricane of 1900
Fredrick 1979
Opal 1995
Charley 2004

&

CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE
(Above 155 mph)
Labor Day Hurricane of 1935
Camille 1969
Andrew 1992

Catastrophic Damage: If realized, damage will be unprecedented. Much of the affected area will be uninhabitable for weeks, perhaps longer in spots. At least one half of well-constructed homes will have roof and wall failure. All gabled roofs will fail, and most of those homes will be destroyed. The majority of industrial buildings will become non-functional; partial to complete wall and roof damage is likely. All wood framed low rising apartment buildings will be destroyed. Concrete block or brick low rise apartments will have major damage, including some wall and roof failure. Tall buildings will sway dangerously and have most windows blown out; a few may collapse. Airborne debris will be widespread and include heavy items such as household appliances and even some light automobiles. Sport utility vehicles and light trucks will be moved or tossed. The blown debris will create additional destruction. Persons and pets caught outdoors will be killed if struck by debris. Power outages will last for weeks as most power poles will be blown down and transformers destroyed. Water shortages will make human suffering incredible by modern standards. A majority of native trees will be snapped or uprooted. Only the heartiest trees will remain standing, but will be defoliated. Most crops will be destroyed; exposed livestock will be killed.

During the Category 4 Galveston Hurricane of 1900, a 15 foot storm surge washed over the entire island. The surge knocked buildings off their foundations and the surf pounded them to pieces, killing 8000 people.

Category 4 Fredrick destroyed the bridge to Dauphin Island, making it only accessible by boat.

During the Category 5 Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 people caught outside were literally sandblasted to death. Some were found with no clothing left on except their belts.

Though a Category 3 storm at landfall, this wording was used almost verbatim during Katrina.

URGENT—WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
ISSUED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
1205 PM CDT MONDAY AUG 29 2005

…EXTREME DANGEROUS HURRICANE KATRINA MOVING ACROSS SOUTHEAST
MISSISSIPPI…
…DEVASTATING DAMAGE CONTINUES ALONG ITS PATH…

KATRINA…NOW A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE WITH WINDS OF 125 MPH AND
HIGHER GUSTS…WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTHWARD ACROSS SOUTHEAST
MISSISSIPPI AND INTO EAST CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI THROUGH THE AFTERNOON
AND EVENING HOURS. ALONG AND NEAR KATRINA’S PATH…EXPECT PARTIAL TO
COMPLETE WALL AND ROOF FAILURE. ALL WOOD FRAMED LOW RISING APARTMENT WILL
SUSTAIN MAJOR DAMAGE…INCLUDING SOME WALL AND ROOF FAILURE.

HIGH RISE OFFICE AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL SWAY DANGEROUSLY…A
FEW POSSIBLY TO THE POINT OF TOTAL COLLAPSE. MANY WINDOWS WILL
BLOW OUT.

AIRBORNE DEBRIS WILL BE WIDESPREAD…AND MAY INCLUDE HEAVY ITEMS SUCH
AS HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES AND EVEN LIGHT VEHICLES. SPORT UTILITY
VEHICLES AND LIGHT TRUCKS WILL BE MOVED. THE BLOWN DEBRIS WILL CREATE
ADDITIONAL DESTRUCTION…PERSONS…PETS…AND LIVESTOCK EXPOSED TO THE
WINDS WILL FACE CERTAIN DEATH IF STRUCK.

POWER OUTAGES WILL LAST FOR WEEKS…AS MOST POWER POLES WILL BE DOWN
AND TRANSFORMERS DESTROYED. WATER SHORTAGES WILL MAKE HUMAN SUFFERING
INCREDIBLE BY MODERN STANDARDS.

THE VAST MAJORITY OF NATIVE TREES WILL BE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED…ONLY
THE HEARTIEST WILL REMAIN STANDING…BUT BE TOTALLY DE-FOLIATED.

THE HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH BELOW HURRICANE
STRENGTH FROM SOUTH TO NORTH THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY
EVENING HOURS.

Let’s hope we don’t have to see another message like this for some time to come.

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Mark’s Almanac

September is the ninth month of the year and the seventh month of the Roman calendar, which is where the month gets its name.

Temperatures are still hot at the beginning of the month, but, by months end, fall will definitely be felt.

Noticeable in September will be the thickening of the cat’s fur, as she begins growing her winter coat & the drift of Yellow Giant Sulphur Butterflies as they migrate towards Florida.

Weather starts shifting from the summer to autumn pattern and then back again. Storm activity resembles the August pattern, but the Bermuda High starts shifting southward and begins weakening, which weakens the blocking effect that has hampered fronts attempting to invade from the northwest.

September is the peak of the hurricane season, the actual peak being on September 10. This peak coincides with the time of “syzygy”, when the combination of the solar and lunar gravity and autumnal equinox combine to provide the highest astronomical tides of the year. Add a hurricane’s storm surge on top of this and you can have incredibly destructive flooding.

Looking towards the sky, Mercury is very low in bright twilight almost due west, approaching his highest elevation above the horizon, which he reaches on September 4. He will at that time be 27 degrees above the horizon.

Venus is getting higher and brighter every morning in the east before dawn. How long can you track her after sunrise? I’ve seen her at mid-day.

Mars is near Venus in the dawn, but, while easily visible, is 300 times fainter.

Incidentally, the old internet rumor is spreading again about “double moons” with Mars soon being as large as the full moon. It is a hoax, or at least I would hope it is, because if it were true, then we or Mars or both have broken out of solar orbit, which would not be a good thing.

Also floating around is the cheerful news that the Earth will be hit by a two and a half mile wide comet between September 15 – 28 and cause “climate chaos”. These are certainly trying times.

Jupiter is hidden deep in the sunrise.

Saturn shines in Libra in the southwest at dusk.

Uranus in Pisces has risen in the east by 10 PM.

Neptune in Aquarius has risen in the southeast by 10 PM.

New Moon occurs September 13 at 1:41 AM CDT when the Moon will on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky.

There will be a partial solar eclipse on September 13, but, it will be visible only in Southern Africa, Madagascar and Antarctica. Book your tickets now.

Fall begins at Autumnal Equinox on September 23 at 3:21 AM CDT, when the Sun crosses directly over the equator and night and day is approximately the same length.

One term that occasionally pops up is “equinoctial storms”. Which are severe storms in North America and the UK that supposedly accompany the vernal and autumnal equinoxes. Where this belief originated is obscure. Some say perhaps from the 1700’s when sailors were greeted by West Indies hurricanes, or due to the coincidence of the first fall severe storms sometimes coming in the latter half of September. At any rate, statistics show no evidence to support the belief.

On this date, if there is sufficient solar activity, and you are away from city lights, the aurora may possibly be seen, as the Equinox dates are the two most favored times of the year for auroral sightings.

September’s Full Moon will occur September 27 at 9:50 PM CDT. This month’s moon is “Full Corn Moon” in Native American folklore because corn is harvested this time of year.

This year it is also “Harvest Moon”. Harvest moon get its name because the moon is larger and seems to rise at almost the same time every night, which allowed harvesting to continue on into the night.

Most believe that Harvest Moon is always in September; however this isn’t always the case. Harvest Moon is actually the full moon closest to the Autumnal Equinox, and so occasionally it can occur with October “Hunters Moon”.

This year’s Harvest Moon is the second of 2015’s three Supermoons. The moon will be at its closest approach of the year and may appear slightly larger and brighter than normal.

The next Supermoon will occur at Hunter’s Moon on October 27.

There will be a total lunar eclipse fully visible from Birmingham on September 27. Timings +/-
2 minutes are as follows:

The eclipse begins at 7:11 PM CDT
Partial eclipse begins at 8:07 PM CDT
Total eclipse begins at 9:11 PM CDT
Maximum eclipse 9:47 PM CDT
Total eclipse ends 10:23 PM CDT
Partial eclipse ends 11:27 PM CDT
Eclipse ends 12:22 PM CDT

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes completely through the Earth’s dark shadow, or umbra. During this type of eclipse, the Moon will gradually get darker and then take on a rusty or blood red color. The eclipse will be visible throughout most of North and South America, Europe, Africa, and western Asia.

If social media trumpets about “blood moons”, do remember that they usually do turn red during eclipses. It’s normal. If it should turn purple or square shaped, then you might start wondering.

High in the Southern night sky an asterism or a group of stars appearing clustered together, but not actually gravitationally bound will be seen that resembles a teapot. This is the Teapot of Sagittarius.

To the naked eye, the Teapot is roughly the size of your fist at arm’s length. Above the spout of the Teapot lies a band of light, the Large Sagittarius Star Cloud. A pair of binoculars will reveal a sea of stars and faint grayish patches, the largest of which is the Lagoon Nebula. When you look upon these nebulae you are seeing stars in the process of being born.

The spout, which is tilting and pouring to the right, also points towards the galactic center of the Milky Way, located just beyond the Large Sagittarius Star cloud, but largely hidden by the dust clouds, which lie along the plane of the Sagittarius arm of the galaxy.

1887 planets beyond our solar system have now been confirmed as of August 27, per NASA’s Exoplanet Archive http://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/.

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This month’s meeting will be on September 8 at 7PM at the National Weather Service Forecast office at the Shelby County Airport.

If for some reason you cannot attend the meeting in person, you can still participate via telephone. The teleconference number is 1-877-951-0997 & and the participant code is 741083.
Hope to see you there!
Mark / WD4NYL
Editor
ALERT Newsletter

www.freewebs.com/weatherlynx/

Mark’s Weatherlynx
Weather Resource Database