"Sullivan Weather" identifies the group of operators out at the WFO MKX during Severe Weather operations. These operators control the nets on the Backbone repeater system, managing traffic entering the office, and updating members in the field. They use Sullivan Weather as their tactical call.

Weather Forecast Office Milwaukee / Sullivan -- this office, located in Sullivan, Wisconsin, has a CWA over the 20 counties of Central and South-Eastern Wisconsin as shown on the first page of this website.

County Warning Area -- this is the territory that the WFO MKX in Sullivan has responsibility for.

WX9MKX is the special group callsign issued by the FCC for Sullivan Weather Operators to use. During all nets, the hams at the WFO MKX will use this call for identification purposes.

The Backbone Net is a special net that Sullivan Weather operates on the 145.13, 146.685, and 147.36 repeaters in Milwaukee, Madison, and Cambridge. Relay Stations act as communications points between this net and the local nets. Please see our Procedures page for more information. This is a CLOSED NET. All parties are encouraged to listen to the net, but please send their reports to a local net.

Local Nets run on local repeaters, independent of Sullivan Committee control. Relays participate in these nets, transmitting severe criteria based to the Backbone Net. These nets are where field spotters should send their reports.

Relay stations move traffic qualifying as Severe Criteria from the Local Net to the Backbone Net. They are specially trained to capture and relay traffic meeting our Severe Criteria, presenting it in a timely and efficient manner.

Severe Criteria involves a set of standards developed by the Sullivan Committee that distinguishes severe weather from stronger storms. Unless requested by the Sullivan Weather staff, only reports matching this severe criteria should be passed by the Relays into the Backbone Net.