NOAA Weather Radio not only provides you with a current forecast and weather conditions for your area, but it can also save your life. Every year people around the country are saved because they received a timely warning from a NOAA weather radio. NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts weather and hazard information for every county in the United States 24 hours a day. Broadcasts are made over seven channels, each covering a three-to-seven county area. The frequency range for the seven channels is centered around 162.450 mhz. Wisconsin has 21 transmitters that provide at least partial weather radio coverage in the state. With summer quickly approaching the Badger state, you need to be aware of potentially hazardous weather situations quickly. The best way to keep abreast of rapidly changing summer weather conditions is to purchase a NOAA weather radio. A NOAA weather radio can be purchased at most major electronics stores. the average price can range anywhere between $30-80, depending on the features included on the radio. Any of the radios regardless of the price will provide you with up to the minute warnings and statements. However, it is always a good idea to purchase a radio with some type of automatic alert system and a battery backup. Some of the more expensive radios will include the new Same/Specific area message Encoding/Technology. With Same technology it is even easier to get specific county severe weather information. You can program your weather radio to provide a tone alert only when weather affects your county. You can program the radio to alert you to multiple counties and specify only specific types of warnings or watches. Programming multiple counties is especially handy if you live and work in different counties. The hearing and visually impaired can also be alerted to severe weather by connecting NOAA weather radios with alarm tones to other kinds of attention-getting devices, such as strobe lights, pagers, bed shakers, personal computers and text printers. The National Weather Service strongly recommends that all homes, Schools, businesses and other places where groups of people gather should have a tone-alert weather radio. Every year advance notice of severe weather such as thunderstorms, flash floods and tornadoes has proven to be a life saver. For more information on NOAA Weather Radio, please check out the NWS Web site here. SOURCE: NWS