The Emergency Managers Weather Information Network (EMWIN) is a NWS service provided in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other public and private organizations. The system became operational in 1997 and is undergoing continual improvement.

EMWIN is a suite of dissemination systems that provide the emergency management community and other groups access to a set of basic NWS warnings, watches, forecasts, and other products. EMWIN was designed to run at minimal cost to the NWS and at no recurring costs to any user. Three methods have been implemented to disseminate EMWIN information:

• low speed data transmission using an audio radio broadcast,
• over the Internet using hypertext markup language (Web Pages),
• and GOES weather satellite broadcasts.

GOES satellite broadcasts make data available nationwide all that is needed by the user is a satellite dish, radio receiver, and demodulator connected to a personal computer equipped with software to decode the digital signal. Since EMWIN is an open protocol, nonproprietary system, anyone can use it or develop products that us it. 

Groups of users such as state and local agencies frequently get together to downlink the data stream and redistribute it locally via radio broadcast. The information can then be obtained using an inexpensive radio receiver, antenna, demodulator, and a personal computer running EMWIN software.

System Components

ALERT System Repeater Stations
Field Stations
Return Frequencies

Weather Forecasts
EMWIN System

Weather Imaging