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04-12-2026 - 6:10 AM - Good Morning! It's Sunday, and the Wichita Amateur Radio Society holds its weekly informal net tonight at 8:00 PM on the club's 147.140 MHz repeater. As far as I know, all licensed Amateur (ham) Radio operators are invited to check in. Of course, scanner radio enthusiasts can also tune in. We got a little rain overnight. From the water data below, it looks like our supply lakes got some of it. We have a chance for more over the next few days. Luckily, I mowed my yard yesterday. Right now, my Folgers Black Silk coffee is ready. I’ll have a cup while I enjoy some Morse code on the 40-meter Amateur (ham) Radio band, and local radio traffic on the scanner radio.
--- 6:15 AM - NWS Forecast - Today: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 10am, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 10am. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 83. South southwest wind 14 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. Tonight: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10pm. Mostly clear, with a low around 66. South wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph.
--- 6:20 AM - According to Water Data for Texas, Wichita Falls reservoirs are: Arrowhead: 82.6% Kemp: 96.0% Kickapoo: 85.1%. Monitored Water Supply Reservoirs are 88.9% full. The City of Wichita Falls uses combined levels of Arrowhead and Kickapoo (83.85%) to determine drought stage.
--- 6:25 AM - NWS Short Range Weather Discussion
--- 6:30 AM - NWS Extended Range Weather Discussion
7:20 AM - AVIATION SNAPSHOT - SPECI for: KSPS (Wichita Falls Rgnl, TX, US)
Text: SPECI KSPS 121200Z AUTO 22011KT 10SM SCT010 BKN024 OVC029 18/17 A2993 RMK AO2 T01830172
Conditions at: 1200 UTC 12 Sun Apr 2026
Temperature: 18.3°C (65°F)
Dewpoint: 17.2°C (63°F) (RH = 93%)
Pressure (altimeter): 29.93 inHg (1013.6 hPa)
Winds: from the SW (220°) at 11 kt (5.7 m/s, 12.7 mph)
Visibility: 10+ mi (16+ km)
Clouds: scattered clouds at 1,000 ft, broken clouds at 2,400 ft, overcast at 2,900 ft
Ceiling: 2,400 ft
--- 8:45 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 11,214 Megawatts.
--- 9:25 AM - The CB Radio band has yet to come alive. I hear occasional bits and pieces on various channels, but nothing solid yet. I hear local comms on Channel 5, but it sounds like they’re passing through town. They’ll probably have second thoughts about choosing Channel 5 when the band opens, and they get splattered from Channel 6, the “superbowl” of CB Radio.
--- 11:00 AM - Some Wichita Falls 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), WFISD school buses (152.360 MHz), school handheld radios (151.940 MHz), Wichita Valley Airport (122.800 MHz), Kickapoo Airport (122.700 MHz), Wichita Falls Regional Airport / SAFB (119.750 & 122.950 MHz), FAA ATC Fort Worth Center (132.925 MHz), and the BNSF Railroad (160.920 MHz). MORE!
--- 12:15 PM - The CB Radio band is still a little flat. I hear steady traffic on some of the AM channels, but they are all weak, including Channel 6. I’ll switch over to 20 meters on Amateur (ham) Radio to see if I can snag a Parks on the Air® contact on CW (Morse code), of course!
--- 6:30 PM - There was a lot of chatter on Channel 19 this evening, with truckers wanting to know about the slowdown ahead. Unfortunately, when I was listening, there were no answers to those calls. Gone are the days when there was almost always someone within range with a CB Radio and the information sought.
--- 8:00 PM - As expected, the Wichita Amateur Radio Society's weekly informal net is on the air on the club's 147.140 MHz repeater. Tune in or check in. The Net Control Station mentioned the upcoming monthly club meeting held on the third Thursday of the month at 6:30 PM at the Hotter N Hell building at 104 Scott Avenue. Also mentioned was the possibility of Amateur (ham) Radio license testing after the meeting. If you want more information on local Ham Radio activities, search for "Wichita Falls Area Hams (Amateur Radio Operators)," and/or "Wichita Amateur Radio Society (WARS)" and you'll come up with Facebook pages loaded with people with answers.