Description of NWR

NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards (NWR) is a nationwide network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information directly from the nearest National Weather Service office. NWR broadcasts official Weather Service warnings, watches, forecasts and other hazard information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Working with the Federal Communication Commission's (FCC) Emergency Alert System , NWR is an "All Hazards" radio network, making it your single source for comprehensive weather and emergency information. In conjunction with Federal, State, and Local Emergency Managers and other public officials, NWR also broadcasts warning and post-event information for 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).

Known as the "Voice of NOAA's National Weather Service," NWR is provided as a public service by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), part of the Department of Commerce. NWR includes more than 1000 transmitters, covering all 50 states, adjacent coastal waters, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the U.S. Pacific Territories. NWR requires a special radio receiver or scanner capable of picking up the signal. Broadcasts are found in the VHF public service band at these seven frequencies (MHz):

162.400

162.425

162.450

162.475

162.500

162.525

162.550

All broadcasts originate from the National Weather Service office here in Pittsburgh .

The broadcasts can usually be heard as far as 40 miles from the transmitter sites. The distance will vary according to your elevation, the quality of your receiver and antenna, and the quality of the transmitter output.

During severe weather, the National Weather Service can interrupt the routine weather broadcasts and substitute special warning messages. These warnings are preceded by a tone alert signal that activates specially designed receivers. The receivers sound an alarm, indicating that a weather emergency exists. The listener can then turn up the volume to hear the warning message. Some radios can switch automatically from a muted mode to an audible volume so that the warning message is heard.

In the most sophisticated alerting system, Weather Radio Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME), digital coding is employed to activate only those special receivers programmed for specific emergency conditions in a specific area, typically a county. SAME can activate specially equipped radio and cable television receivers and provide a short text message that identifies the location and type of emergency.

The warning alarm and battery backup features are worthwhile, especially valuable for schools, hospitals, public safety agencies, and news media offices.