Weather radios are receive-only radios designed to
warn you when danger is lurking. They are
commonly referred to only as weather radios, but
they give you much more information than just
weather. All weather radios are similar in
that they pick up one or all seven VHF public
service band frequencies that the NOAA Weather Radio
All Hazards (NWR) broadcasts on. The NWR is
nation wide network of radio stations broadcasting
not only the local weather, but National Weather
Service warnings, watches, forecasts and other
hazard information 24 hours a day. In addition
to weather information the NWR broadcasts all types
of hazards, including natural (such as earthquakes
or avalanches), environmental (such as chemical
releases or oil spills), and public safety (such as
AMBER alerts or 911 Telephone outages). The
NWR is governed by the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Aside from which of the seven frequencies a weather
radio picks up, the only difference between them is
the appearance of the weather radio, and the
features it includes. Some are hand
held, some display time, temp, etc, some activate
only for warnings, rather than transmitting all the
time.
One new feature available on some weather radios is NWR
SAME technology. This feature allows you to
program specific counties and marine areas into the
weather radio. Without this
feature, you will receive broadcasts that cover all
areas within range of the NWR transmitter you are
receiving. This may include information on
areas and dangers located far from your current
location.
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