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Emergency Manager's Weather Information Network
Who Is EMWIN For?
- Safety
directors - Make it part of your safety plan today!
- Amateur
radio operators - Don't go severe weather spotting without it.
- Emergency
response officials - Stay on top of changing conditions.
- Business
- If weather affects your operations, you can benefit from EMWIN.
- The Media
- A great backup to the "weather wire".
- Teachers
- Explore changes in weather with your science class.
- Weather
hobbyists - Plot the daily climate variations for your area.
- Weather
junkies - Let the weather info come to you, instead of you to it.
- Computer
hobbyists - Make your doorbell ring every time a tornado warning is issued.
I need more
information, where do I go?
What is EMWIN?
EMWIN is a weather data system that was designed for County Emergency
Managers with limited budgets. Up to 6,500 National Weather Service products are
available free of charge to those who need it most. You read correctly, the data is free,
no phone lines or internet access is required. Potential users of EMWIN include emergency
response officials, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, SKYWARN severe weather spotters,
weather hobbyists, and any business where weather is a factor.
What can EMWIN do?
Using a point-and-click interface on a Windows-based PC, users of the free weather
data can monitor the latest severe weather watches, warnings and statements for their
county (or any county in the U.S. for that matter). The software can provide visual or
audio alarms under user-specified situations. The computer software can be programmed to
turn on your lights or call your pager to alert you to hazardous weather!
Where is EMWIN currently available in North Dakota?
Amateur radio operators have setup local EMWIN systems in Bismarck and Grand Forks.
If you have a scanner, tune to 143.150 MHz to hear the signal. No satellite
equipment is required.
What Do I
Need to Get EMWIN Data on My Computer
- Live in or near
Bismarck or Grand Forks
- A special
demodulator ($50-100, see National EMWIN Homepage)
- A scanner to receive the
signal on 143.150 MHz
- Pentium based
computer with 64 MB of RAM is best, should work on a 486
- The software is free
What weather
products would reach my computer automatically?
The following is a partial list of products available for every state in the country:
- Tornado watches, warnings and statements.
- Severe thunderstorm watches, warnings and statements.
- Flash Flood and Flood watches, warnings and statements.
- Hurricane watches, warnings and statements.
- Thunderstorm Outlook for the next 24 hours.
- River readings and rainfall reports.
- Five-day forecasts for every county in the U.S.
- Climate information (high and low temperatures, precipitation, etc.).
- Weather charts and maps.
- Hourly aviation surface observations
- Doppler Radar coded messages
IWIN
The Internet Weather
Information Network (IWIN)) is an EMWIN system using the Internet rather than radio waves.
During times of emergencies, phone and internet access may be limited or cut off. In this
case, it is preferable to receive EMWIN data via radio waves.
IWIN Data Sites
How does EMWIN
work?
The National Weather Service transmits weather data via weather satellites (i.e. GOES
8 and GOES 10). This data signal is available free of charge, the trick is getting the
signal. Public, private and non-profit organizations in North Dakota are developing a
system to obtain this data for a one-time cost of $90 to $150 per computer. This
one-time cost is for a computer interface and software to run on your Windows-based PC. If
you are technically inclined, you can build a computer interface for $30 and get free
software via the internet.
Who is
responsible for getting EMWIN data in my community?
The community itself is responsible for funding an EMWIN system through support from
business and organizations. The National Weather Service provides the data signal free of
charge from weather satellites, the North Dakota Division of Emergency Management
coordinates EMWIN transmitters in the state, and the North Dakota National Guard allows
for retransmission of the data signal on one of its frequencies (143.150 MHz).
Technical support can be received from amateur radio operators or from
the location where you received you EMWIN software.
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