Skywarn Recognition Day will take place this year on Saturday, December 2, 2017 from 0000 until 2400 UTC – starting on the evening of Friday, December 1st at 6:00 p.m. Central and ending 24 hours later. During the Skywarn Special Event, hams will set up stations at National Weather Service offices and contact other radio amateurs around the world.
Participating Amateur Radio stations will exchange a brief description of their current weather with as many NWS-based stations as possible on 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, 6, and 2 meters plus 70 centimeters. Contacts via repeaters are permitted.
Skywarn Recognition Day was developed jointly in 1999 by the National Weather Service and American Radio Relay League (ARRL) to celebrate the contributions Skywarn volunteers make to the National Weather Service mission — the protection of life and property. Amateur Radio operators, which comprise a large percentage of Skywarn volunteers, also provide vital communication between the National Weather Service and emergency managers, if normal communications become inoperative.
The National Weather Service and ARRL have been formal partners since 1986.
