What is a WX (Weather) radio or what is NOAA Weather radio?
NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) is the sanctioning government body of the NWS (National Weather Service). They broadcast many of their products via NOAA Weather Radio. This can be picked up by most police scanners by hitting the WX button on newer scanners, or programming the local frequency. Also you can purchase a weather radio from many retail outlets, Radio Shack being the most common. This radio allows you to listen to their broadcasts any time, and some will sound an alarm any time the NWS issues a severe weather statement, followed by that statement. The newer WX radios have something called S.A.M.E. or Specific Area Message Encoding. This allows you to customize what counties you will get the alarm for. So instead of being waked for a storm that is 100 miles away, you only get the alarm for counties you programmed. It is highly recommend spending the extra money and getting the S.A.M.E. radio. An additional note, many local Emergency Management Agencies w
