Weather

Amateur Radio & Weather

Amateur radio and weather are closely linked.  Each year many ham operators using 2 meter radios volunteer to observe and spot storm activity through the NWS SKYWARN program.  While high frequency (HF) stations rely on solar data to forecast which HF bands will have the best propagation conditions.

 

 

Local Weather Stations

400 South & 450 East

 

Real Time Radar

Anderson Regional Radar

 

Space Weather

NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center

 

FEMA Daily Ops Report

January 09, 2022

 

Solar Data

 

Glossary of Terms for Solar Propagation
Item
Element
Description
SFI Solar Flux Index Solar flux is measured in solar flux units (SFUs).  It is the amount of radio noise or flux emitted at a frequency of 2800 MHz (10.7 cm). Increasing SFI may be good for HF propagation, it also tends to correspond with high Ap and K indices, which cause D-Layer absorption and noisy band condition.
SN Sunspot Number An index of solar activity related to the number of sunspots and sunspot groups present on the Sun. From 0 to 250, higher is better.
A or Ap Planetary A Index Linear index for measuring the disturbance level in the Earth’s magnetic field.
Levels of A index are described as follows:

  • quiet: A < 8
  • unsettled: 8 <= A <= 15
  • active: 16 <= A <= 24
  • minor storm: 25 <= A <= 35
  • major storm: A >= 36
K Planetary K Index A three hourly index of geomagnetic activity relative to an assumed quiet day curve for the recording site. K index values range from 0 (very quiet) up to 9 (extremely disturbed).
X-Ray Hard X-Rays NOAA reported value from A0.0 to X9.9. Intensity of hard x-rays hitting the earth’s ionosphere. Impacts primarily the D-layer (HF absorption). The letter indicates the order of magnitude of the X-rays (A, B, C, M and X), where A is the lowest. The number further defines the level of radiation. Updated eight times daily.
304A 304 Angstroms A value from 0 to unknown. Relative strength of total solar radiation at a wavelength of 304 angstroms (or 30.4 nm), emitted primarily by ionized helium in the sun’s photosphere. Responsible for about half of all the ionization of the F layer in the ionosphere. 304A does correlate to SFI.
Aur Aurora Excitation of particles from the Sun spiralling in the geomagnetic field near the poles resulting in the release of energy in different forms, including light. Values indicates how strong the F-Layer ionization is in the polar regions. Higher values cause auroral events (including northern/southern lights) to move to lower latitude.