Winter Field Day Was Canceled—Emergency Comms Weren’t

 

Winter Field Day was ultimately overshadowed by a real-world winter storm here in Tennessee this past weekend. Out of an abundance of caution, the club made the decision on Friday to cancel our WFD plans, as did many other clubs in the area. It’s never an easy call, but member safety always comes first. Snow alone is one thing—but ice is a completely different ballgame. 

Saturday morning started off quietly, as precipitation had not yet begun to fall. By 1100, however, we had accumulated just over an inch of snow on the ground—more than enough to cause problems for us southerners. By 1300, sleet and freezing rain moved in, significantly worsening conditions.

I spent most of the day monitoring GMRS, Meshtastic, and the statewide weather net on the linked amateur repeaters. From there, critical information was entered into the APRS system using YAAC, helping provide situational awareness for anyone monitoring the network. Reports included multiple vehicle accidents, trees blocking roadways, and storm warnings and updates from the National Weather Service. 

By Sunday morning, widespread power outages were evident. While we were fortunate to keep power, more than 200,000 residents in an adjacent county were without electricity and scrambling to find alternate heat sources.

We’re still in the middle of this polar plunge, but hopefully a thaw is not far off. This weekend served as yet another real-world example of how APRS can be an effective tool during emergency events, helping keep operators informed when it matters most.

🛒 Perfect this time of year https://amzn.to/4bSQqKL