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04-04-2026 - 5:00 AM - Good Morning! It’s Saturday, once again. If you saw the weather radar between 2:00 AM and 3:00 AM, you know that a long line of thunderstorms passed over town this morning. It looks like every lake within 1,000 square miles of Wichita Falls got a good drenching. This, of course, is a good thing. The storm noise woke me up at 2:00 AM. I didn’t hear anything from the Storm Spotters on my scanner radio, so I guess they weren't expecting anything more than rain. For now, my Folgers Black Silk coffee is ready.
--- 5:05 AM - NWS Forecast - Today: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 7am, then a chance of showers between 7am and 10am. High near 69. North wind 14 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 43. North northeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light after midnight.
--- 5:10 AM - ERCOT (Texas) snapshot of grid conditions - ERCOT reports that conditions are normal and there is enough power for current demand with an operating reserve of 13,358 Megawatts.
--- 5:15 AM - NWS Short Range Weather Discussion
--- 5:20 AM - NWS Extended Range Weather Discussion
--- 5:25 AM - According to Water Data for Texas, Wichita Falls reservoirs are: Arrowhead: 80.8% Kemp: 93.8% Kickapoo: 84.1%. Monitored Water Supply Reservoirs are 87.0% full. The City of Wichita Falls uses combined levels of Arrowhead and Kickapoo (82.45%) to determine drought stage.
--- 7:15 AM - Some local weekend radio scanning targets: Walmart (154.570 MHz), Allred Unit (153.815 MHz), Wichita County Jail (155.520 MHz), State Hospital (154.800 MHz) city transit buses (453.5375 MHz), Wichita Valley Airport (122.800 MHz), Kickapoo Airport (122.700 MHz), Wichita Falls Regional Airports / SAFB (119.750 & 122.950 MHz), FAA ATC Fort Worth Center (132.925 MHz), and the BNSF Railroad (160.920 MHz). MORE!
--- 7:35 AM - FEMA Daily Operations Briefing
--- 8:00 AM - Saturdays are a good time to visit Tommy’s Donuts (and Fried Rice) on Old Iowa Park Road. I think they make the best apple fritters in town. I really don’t know who else makes apple fritters, but Tommy’s would probably still be the best. The fried rice is always worth a visit. You can also hop over to Circle M Bakery, just a block or so west, for some of their delicious fried pies. Yes, they have great donuts, too!
--- 8:20 AM - In the area that is now a city bus stop just outside the Sheppard Air Force Base Main Gate were apartments, a service station, a hotel, and other businesses. One of those businesses was a Wacker's variety or "five & dime" store. Back in the mid-1960s, a kid selected a slingshot and took it to the cashier. The slingshot had no price tag, and the young female cashier held it up and yelled, "Hey Joe, how much is this n****r shooter?" Just another day in Wichita Falls. Wacker's closed, and Second Hand Sports became the new occupant. Do you remember them?
--- 8:45 AM - I just noticed that Super Thin Ribbons has moved to 1602 Loop 11. They were previously located on Burkburnett Road, just north of and across from the Sheppard Air Force Base Main Gate. According to past news items, their ribbons have been seen on military uniforms in movies you’ve probably seen. If you need ribbons, look them up.
--- 11:20 AM - I'm checking the Amateur (ham) Radio Parks on the Air® spotter page, looking for some Morse code park contacts. Everyone on the page is either weak or I've already "worked" them. I'll check back later.
--- 12:30 PM - According to Water Data for Texas, Wichita Falls reservoirs are: Arrowhead: 81.28% Kemp: 94.2% Kickapoo: 84.2%. Monitored Water Supply Reservoirs are 87.0% full. The City of Wichita Falls uses combined levels of Arrowhead and Kickapoo (82.7%) to determine drought stage.
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04-03-2026 - 5:00 AM - Good Morning! It’s Friday, and that’s about all I have to say about it being Friday. It looks like we have some more rain on the way this evening and tomorrow. We need to recharge our supply lakes for the predicted hot summer ahead. I have no big plans for today or for the weekend. Morse code is a little sparse on the 40-meter Amateur (ham) Radio band so far. Maybe I need some Folgers Black Silk coffee to open my ears. Since it’s ready, I’ll have a cup.
--- 5:05 AM - NWS Forecast - Today: A chance of rain, then showers and thunderstorms likely after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 83. South wind 14 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1am, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 1am. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 52. South wind 10 to 14 mph becoming north northeast after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.
--- 5:10 AM - ERCOT (Texas) snapshot of grid conditions - ERCOT reports that conditions are normal and there is enough power for current demand with an operating reserve of 15,162 Megawatts.
--- 5:15 AM - NWS Short Range Weather Discussion
--- 5:20 AM - NWS Extended Range Weather Discussion
--- 5:25 AM - According to Water Data for Texas, Wichita Falls reservoirs are: Arrowhead: 81.2% Kemp: 92.9% Kickapoo: 84.1%. Monitored Water Supply Reservoirs are 86.7% full. The City of Wichita Falls uses combined levels of Arrowhead and Kickapoo (82.65%) to determine drought stage.
--- 5:30 AM - In the early 1980s, when I was still a "green" pilot with about 200 hours, a crop duster pilot I knew wanted me to join the ranks of that profession on a part-time basis. He said I would need more flight hours, but we could "pad" my logbook to satisfy the powers that be. I passed on the deal. A few years later, Mr. Duster dusted some power lines. He survived the event. Tune in to Kickapoo Airport at 122.700 MHz, and Wichita Valley Airport at 122.800 MHz.
--- 5:35 AM - At the old Gibson's Discount Center on 12th and Ohio streets, a female cashier was totaling the goods for a man, probably three times her age. Suddenly, in a loud voice, the cashier asked: "Do I shack?" The man said, "No, no, I said put that in a sack!" Later, the cashier explained that the man did indeed ask her if she wanted to "shack up."
--- 5:45 AM - In June 1968, I watched Johnny Cash sing "Ring of Fire" on the Sheppard Air Force Base flight line during an "Operation Entertainment" rehearsal. He asked about the German Air Force pilots training at Sheppard, "What do they call them, German Sheppards?"
--- 6:55 AM - According to a story on Texoma's Home Page, Interim Wichita Falls Police Chief Bates says he's not a candidate for the position and is actually serving as an interim chief. The search for a permanent chief continues. That's interesting. I'm still puzzled about the need for an outside search for a Chief. If the two Deputy Chiefs aren't qualified to step into that position, why are they Deputy Chiefs? The writer incorrectly used the term Wichita County Police Department.
--- 2:45 PM - The Wichita County Skywarn® Storm Spotters issued a weather update, indicating that the best chance for severe weather will occur from now until about 6:00 PM this evening. Spotters were advised to prepare for a possible deployment. Tune in to Wichita County spotter updates and activity at 146.940 MHz and Clay County at 146.800 MHz on your scanner radio.
--- 5:00 PM - Now is a good time to talk about my descriptions of band conditions. I describe band conditions as flat today, asleep, quiet, or other terms that indicate less than favorable conditions for reliable communications. I have no interest in the science of "space weather" (electromagnetic radiation and charged particles emitted by the sun) and how it affects radio communications. I have no interest because there's nothing I can do to change space weather, and I have no need to know what conditions will be tomorrow or next week. I can understand Amateur (ham) Radio contesters wanting to know if it’s worth it to call in sick on a contest weekend. Space weather forecasts might be of value to this group. I’m not in that group. I have an alternative to worrying about space weather. I turn on the radio. Either the band is open, or it is not. Have fun! Your opinion of space weather importance may vary.
--- 9:00 PM - It looks like the thunderstorms are going to pass east of Wichita Falls and into Clay and Montague Counties. There might be some more on the way later tonight. Tune in to Wichita County Skywarn® Storm Spotters at 146.940 MHz on your scanner radio. Clay County spotters use 146.800 MHz.