NOAA Weather Radio
Info

 

NOAA All Hazard Weather Radio Features

What is the difference between a Weather Radio and a Weather ALERT Radio?

Both radios distribute the weather information you. The difference is, a Weather ALERT Radio acts as an alarm clock, so that when a weather alert is received by the radio it activates an alarm to get your attention. For example, while sleeping, if a tornado is heading into your County, an alert radio will wake you up so that you can react quickly.

All NOAA ALERT Radios include a silent stand-by mode that automatically turns on the audio when an alert warning is received.

What is an NOAA Weather Radio?

This life-saving technology broadcasts weather forecasts and travel conditions, storm warnings, and alerts affecting life and safety on a 24/7 basis - 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The system is operated by the National Weather Service which is a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; both agencies are branches of the US Commerce Department. NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts are localized using over 600 special VHF transmitters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands (stations are continually being added).

The NOAA frequencies are in the VHF radio spectrum ranging from 162.400 to 162.550 MHz, which is outside of the normal AM/FM radio bands and must be monitored by special receivers like the All Hazards/Weather Emergency Alert radios. These broadcasts can be received up to 40-50 miles from a NOAA transmitter.

What is EAS?

The Emergency Alert System (EAS) provides the only network of national and local government broadcasts for messages affecting public health and safety. Weather radios with SAME technology will receive these broadcasts automatically. EAS broadcasts may include warnings about weather and technological emergencies, including tornados and earthquakes; toxic chemical spills; radiation emergencies; explosions and fires; and other conditions that require immediate public notification.

With the EAS and the NOAA working in conjunction, communities are capable of being warned of every type of disaster - natural as well as man-made. Alerts and warnings (both visual and audio) are issued for such severe weather as hurricanes, tornados, floods, high winds, thunderstorms, tropical storms, radiation emergencies, hazardous chemical spills and fires within a 30-40 mile range.

Automated computer voice broadcasts: — Temperature/Humidity — Barometric Pressure — Wind Speed — Rain Fall — Weather Forecast — Storm and Disaster Warnings

What is S.A.M.E.?

S.A.M.E. is Specific Area Message Encoding. S.A.M.E. radios receive the same alerts and warnings as the NOAA radios, however they allow users to adjust their reception and identify information for specific counties of interest and concern, rather than for an entire regional broadcast area.

Weather Radio owners can easily program a SAME-equipped receiver with a six-digit code for a specific county location. This eliminates the numerous "false alarms" for weather alerts that may apply to an area 40 or 50 miles distant. Multiple county codes can be programmed and memorized by Oregon Scientific Weather Radios to permit storing home and business locations, travel/vacation destinations, and favorite recreational sites.

The following statements, alerts and warnings are currently available with NOAA All Hazard Weather Radios.