Southwest Michigan AMS and NWA Chapter

10/09/2026

GLOS has been awarded new five-year funding from NOAA-IOOS. The award reinforces GLOS’s role as the regional hub for Great Lakes information.

10/07/2026

Are We Doomed or Can We Solve Climate Change?

Join environmental historian Dr. Bart Elmore of Ohio State University for an engaging conversation about what history can teach us about addressing one of the most pressing issues of our time: climate change.

October 8, 2026
Western Michigan University – Brown Hall
Reception: 5 PM | Lecture: 6 PM

Come learn, connect, and explore what we can do to create a more sustainable future.

10/07/2026

10/01/2026

10/01/2026

The October newsletter is live

09/30/2026

Please join us in welcoming InterMet Systems as a sponsor of the Southwest Michigan AMS/NWA Chapter for the 2026/2027 season!

We're incredibly grateful for InterMet's support of our Chapter and our mission to bring together weather professionals, students, educators, and weather enthusiasts throughout Southwest Michigan.

Intermet Systems has a long history of supporting the meteorological community through weather instrumentation and environmental monitoring solutions, making them a great partner for an organization dedicated to weather, science, education, and professional connections.

Their sponsorship helps us continue offering guest speakers, educational opportunities, networking, forecast contests, and other Chapter activities throughout the year.

Thank you, InterMet Systems, for supporting our Chapter and the local weather community! We're excited to have you with us for the 2026/2027 season.

09/30/2026

🌪️ Reminder: Operation Echo — Are YOU Ready? 📻

Next Saturday, October 3 (9 AM–12 PM), we’re simulating a real‑world communications emergency inspired by the historic 1998 West Michigan derecho — a storm so intense it damaged radio towers, uprooted trees, damaged homes, and knocked out power across the region. This exercise is open to everyone, so you are invited to participate with us!

🔗 Sign-Up: https://bit.ly/operation-echo-2026

💥 Scenario:
A predawn wall of wind slams into Kent County. Power is out. Internet and cellular networks are unstable. Fuel is scarce. Local agencies need ground truth reports and radio-based communications support.

📡 Who Can Participate?
Whether you’re a seasoned operator or brand new to emergency comms, there’s a place for everyone:

🎙️ EOC Operators — support coordination efforts inside our Emergency Operations Center (must be a member of KCEST)

📡 Field Communicators — deploy to simulated impact zones to relay real-time reports (all volunteers welcome)

🏠 Home-Based Volunteers — check in from your handheld or base station to provide neighborhood-level situational awareness

🔧 Tech Enthusiasts — experiment with mesh networking, GMRS, digital modes, and grid-down comms

📶 Newcomers — learn the basics of emergency radio, message handling, and situational reporting
If you’ve ever wondered how you’d communicate when everything fails, this is your chance to find out.
Join the Kent County Emergency Services Team for Operation Echo and put your skills to the test!

🔧 Learn. Train. Communicate. Serve.

Sign up today — we have a place for everyone

09/27/2026

📣Great news!📣 NWS Flood Inundation Mapping (FIM) now covers nearly 100% of the U.S. population, recently expanded to include the East Coast, the Great Lakes region, the Rocky Mountains and the northern Plains. FIM visually displays the geographical extent of projected river flooding for more than 3.3 million river miles across the United States and its territories. News release here: https://shorturl.at/yn19V. View FIM directly at https://water.noaa.gov/fim or https://viewer.weather.noaa.gov/

Please note: Dynamic (forecasted inundation) FIM is only produced during times of high water and is not QC'd in real-time. Meaning, the data produced has not been reviewed by a scientist and could contain significant errors. You should always heed the advice of local officials and consult with an expert to properly interpret these experimental services.

Public Services Handbook link is:https://www.weather.gov/media/owp/operations/Public_Handbook_NWC_Visualization_Services.pdf

09/22/2026

This is my Fall 2026 forecast for the Continental United States (CONUS). I expect most of the CONUS to be warmer than normal The northern CONUS is expected to be dry while the southern CONUS wet.

Visit the post for more.