Weather watchers keep eye out for storms
KITCHENER — A blustery band of thunderstorms is on the way.
Trouble on the darkening horizon? Maybe.
But perhaps not enough impending meteorological mayhem for the CanWarn army of storm-watching “ham” amateur radio operators to bolt into action and transmit their timely observations back to Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Damaging winds or heavy rains causing flooding can trigger the CanWarn call to watch the skies for ominous clouds, whether that call comes in the form of a watch or warning. Ditto for hail, as long as those frozen rain pellets are as big as a five-cent piece.
“Hail that’s larger than a nickel,” said Kitchener’s David Knight, an eight-year CanWarn contributor and a 25-year ham radio operator.
“That’s usually when CanWarn gets activated.”
But Knight, a 66-year-old software developer and swim meet organizer, has no talking Pontiac Trans Am to hop into on his mission to document severe weather wherever he may be.
Instead, his mobile amateur radio kit is mounted inside his red 2011 Ford Escape with a special licence plate, with a ham radio call sign, that’s issued by Industry Canada.
Yes, he’s allowed to talk on the fly. Licensed ham radio operators in Ontario, for now, are exempt from distracted driving rules forbidding hand-held devices while driving.
“We don’t get animated in many of the conversations,” said Knight, who worked as an amateur radio operator for the National Hurricane Center in Miami during hurricanes Charley and Frances in 2004. “Most of the time, you’re in listening mode. You’re not even talking. When I get into traffic, I put the ham radio down, anyways.”
Knight is the past-president and the CanWarn manager for the Kitchener-Waterloo Amateur Radio Club, which has about 60 members and 20 CanWarn storm spotters.
The radar coverage is pretty good over Kitchener, Coulson says. But Environment Canada likes to get confirmation of events from live weather watchers on the ground, who report to a central controller.
Radar can be spotty in places, Knight said, and often can’t show you everything.
“We need to keep eyes and ears open to see and hear what’s going on,” he said.
“We’re getting into the season, that’s for sure. Any time now. The percentage of storms go up as you hit June.”
A few weeks ago, a CanWarn training session was held for its local members in Waterloo. Geoff Coulson, warning preparedness meteorologist for the Meteorological Service of Canada, spoke about the kinds of weather events officials want to hear about.
Damaging winds and rains and hail were prominent. Lightning was less interesting, although safety issues in avoiding lightning strikes were emphasized. Environment Canada, Coulson says, doesn’t want storm spotters chasing dangerous weather patterns. Observations are best made from a safe distance.
The CanWarn system is 30 years old, featuring nearly 7,000 members in Ontario, including ham radio operators, first responders, emergency managers and government employees. It began with ham radio operators in the tornado-wary Windsor area. And while twisters are uncommon in this area, the ham radio signal is strong, Knight says.
“The main repeater we use is out on the Baden Hill with the CKCO (television) tower,” said Knight, who served four years with the U.S. version of CanWarn called Skyward. “We’re well positioned.” Once, Knight connected with a ham radio operator in Ukraine. “He was clear as a bell.”
But what exactly is so invigorating about being an amateur radio operator, helping out at community events like marathons and pitching in to boost communications during emergencies?
“You can tell I like talking to people,” said Knight, who has a base radio unit at home that isn’t set up right now. “I’m never without words. Going down to London the other day, I was talking to a guy in Tennessee. We talked about horses. We don’t talk about technical stuff all the time.”
What about the mystifying term “ham radio”? Do amateur operators ever talk about how that rather odd slice of terminology, labelling their hobby, came about?
“Maybe we ham it up,” Knight said.