DENVER -- Chief Meteorologist Mike Nelson and the 24/7 Weather Team encourage families, schools and businesses to purchase weather radios to stay safe during Colorado's severe weather season.

The NOAA all-hazards weather alert radios monitor special radio broadcasts from the National Weather Service and Department of Homeland Security, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The broadcasts provide life-saving information during severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, blizzards, wildfires and other local emergencies.

The need for a Weather Alert Radio will be in much higher demand during the late spring and early summer. The months of May and June are when Tornado Alley across the Great Plains really gets going. Most of these tornado outbreaks across the Plains initially form and get their energy from Front Range and they are easily capable of producing severe weather in Colorado as well. It is always better to be safe than sorry.

These radios provide over 60 different alerts and can be programmed for individual counties. This special feature is called Specific Area Message Encoding (or S.A.M.E) makes modern weather radios more popular and useful than those of the past.

WHERE TO BUY? Mildland WR 100 weather radios are available several ways. You can order from Walgreens online or purchase one at a Walgreens location near you.

In addition to these life saving radios, learn all about Colorado's severe storms by purchasing Mike Nelson's COLORADO WEATHER ALMANAC book at a reduced price. Learn all about the wide ranging weather, the history of Colorado's biggest storms, climate change and weather forecasting in Mike's erudite book on Colorado weather.

MIKE'S COLORADO WEATHER ALMANAC!

NEED HELP PROGRAMMING? Watch as Meteorologist Lisa Hidalgo walks you through programming your NOAA Digital Weather Radio STEP-BY-STEP, right from your desktop!
FIND YOUR COUNTY CODE: Get the list of SAME codes and frequencies for your county, and see a map of what areas those frequencies cover.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS: Get our step-by-step guide to program your new digital weather radio.