Weather Radios

Weather radios, also known as weather alert radios, all-hazards radios, or just alert radios are a type of radio that pick up one or all of 7 frequencies broadcasted on by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The purpose for weather radios is to pick up information broadcasted by NOAA transmitters for the listener.

NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards transmitters broadcast on one of seven VHF frequencies from 162.400 MHz to 162.550 MHz. These transmitters are located all over the country in all 50 states, Washing DC, Puerto Rico, Guam, N. Mariana Islands, Virgin Islands, and American Samoa. Each transmitter broadcasts one or more of these frequencies:

162.400 MHz
162.425 MHz
162.450 MHz
162.475 MHz
162.500 MHz
162.525 MHz
162.550 MHz

These broadcasts can’t be picked up with a regular AM/FM radio. Only radios designed to pick up NOAA broadcasts will receive the information.

Weather Recievers

There are many options when it comes to NOAA receivers. There are handheld units and desktop units. There are stand alone weather receivers that do nothing but pick up weather broadcasts. There are also many other types of radios that include weather stations:

Public Alert Devices

Different weather radios have different features. Weather radios that carry the Public Alert logo meet certain standards and come with some(or all) the features below.

SAME technology : SAME, or Specific Alert Message Encoding allows you to specify the particular area for which you wish to receive alerts. Most warnings and watches broadcast over NOAA Weather Radio are county-based or independent city-based (parish-based in Louisiana), although in a few areas of the country the alerts are issued for portions of counties. Since most NWR transmitters are broadcasting for a number of counties, SAME receivers will respond only to alerts issued for the area (or areas) you have selected. This minimizes the number of “false alarms” for events which might be a few counties away from where you live. (Public Alert ™ - required)

Selectable alerting of events : While SAME allows you to specify a particular area of interest, some receivers allow you to turn off alarms for certain events which might not be important to you. For example, if you live in a coastal county, but not right at the beach, you might not care about Coastal Flood Warnings. This feature may also be called "Event Blocking" or "Defeat Siren". (Public Alert ™ - optional)

Tone alarm: The National Weather Service will send a 1050 Hz tone alarm before most warning and many watch messages are broadcast. The tone will activate all the receivers which are equipped to receive it, even if the audio is turned off. This is especially useful for warnings which occur during the night when most people are asleep. (Public Alert ™ - required)

Battery backup: Since power outages often occur during storms, having a receiver with battery backup can be crucial. However, unless you have a portable unit which you will use away from other power sources, an AC power connection is recommended to preserve battery life. (Public Alert ™ - required for radios, optional for other devices)

External antenna jack: While most receivers come with a whip antenna which can usually be extended out from the unit, depending on your location you may need an external antenna to get a good reception. Some receivers come with an external antenna jack (normally in the back of the unit) which will allow you to connect to a larger antenna (which can be indoors or outdoors). You can often purchase these as accessories at the same place where you bought your receiver, or from most stores with an electronics department. NWR broadcasts are in the Public Service VHF frequencies, just above FM radio and between the current TV channels 6 and 7 - so an antenna designed for analog VHF televisions or FM radios should work. Or, you can make your own antenna. Go to this web site for more information. (Public Alert ™ - optional)

External device jack (special needs): Some radios have a jack to plug-in external notification devices, such as strobe lights or bed shakers, which can be useful for those with special needs. (Public Alert ™ - required for institutional receivers, optional for consumer receivers).

Why own a weather radio?

Safety, security, and protection. A weather radio can give you important information in an emergency, allowing you to take action when you normally would not know you need to. And since NOAA weather are an added feature on many of the radios you already use, it just makes sense to have one. The NOAA warns of all these events: