Home / Radios and comms

Weather radios: a receiver that wakes you for warnings

By the Plain Prepper editors. Updated 2026-10-15.

We research products from makers' specs, manuals and safety agencies; we do not run hands-on tests. Links to Amazon may earn us a commission at no cost to you. How this works.

Quick answer

NOAA Weather Radio is a network of more than 1,000 National Weather Service transmitters that broadcast warnings, watches and forecasts around the clock on seven VHF frequencies. You need a special receiver, because a plain AM/FM radio cannot pick it up. NWS recommends receivers with the Public Alert or NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards logo. These sound a 1050 Hz tone alarm even when the volume is off, and SAME coding lets you choose your own county.

How NOAA Weather Radio works

• Network: NWS says NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards has more than 1,000 transmitters covering all 50 states, coastal waters, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the U.S. Pacific territories.
• All hazards: besides weather, it carries warnings for earthquakes, chemical releases, AMBER alerts and 911 outages, working with the FCC's Emergency Alert System.
• Frequencies: 162.400, 162.425, 162.450, 162.475, 162.500, 162.525 and 162.550 MHz.
• Range: NWS says reception typically extends about 40 miles from a transmitter on level terrain, and mountains can block it.

NWS posts current transmitter outages on its NOAA Weather Radio site, worth checking if your radio goes quiet.

The features NWS says matter

Feature	What it does	Public Alert standard
Tone alarm	NWS sends a 1050 Hz tone before most warnings; the radio sounds even with audio off	Required
SAME coding	Alerts only for the county or area you program, cutting false alarms	Required
Event blocking	Turns off alarms for event types you do not need	Optional
Battery backup	Keeps the radio working when storms cut power	Required for radios
External antenna jack	Connects a larger antenna for weak signals	Not listed
Accessory jack	Strobe lights or bed shakers for people who cannot hear the siren	Optional for consumer radios

The Public Alert standard (CTA-2009-C) was developed by the Consumer Technology Association with NWS. NWS also lists models approved to carry the NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards logo.

Standalone receiver or multi-band radio?

NWS describes two kinds of receivers:

• Standalone weather radios exist mainly to receive NOAA broadcasts and alerts. NWS says these work best if you want to be woken for warnings and watches day or night.
• Multi-band radios include the weather band among AM/FM, shortwave, CB, marine, scanner or GMRS/FRS bands. NWS says these suit people who want to tune in to forecasts but do not need automatic alerts.

Many hand-crank emergency radios are multi-band, so check whether yours actually sounds alerts; our emergency radio guide covers that difference. For a bedside or kitchen alert, NWS's advice points to a standalone receiver.

Setting up your weather radio

1. Find your SAME code: NWS publishes SAME codes for every state, county and territory; program the code for each county you care about.
2. Pick a transmitter: NWS's Find My Station tool shows your nearest station and frequency.
3. Power: NWS recommends running the radio on AC power and keeping batteries as backup, to save battery life.
4. Antenna: if reception is weak, NWS says an antenna made for analog VHF TV or FM radio should work on a radio with an external antenna jack.
5. Help: NWS does not make or sell receivers, so contact the radio's maker for programming help.

Recalls and upkeep

• Recalls: NWS points buyers to the CPSC website, where weather radio recalls are listed under radios.
• Batteries: replace backup batteries on a schedule so the radio still works when the power fails.
• Outages: if alerts stop, check NWS's outage list for your transmitter before assuming the radio failed.
• Accessibility: for anyone who cannot hear the siren, choose a radio with an accessory jack and add a strobe or bed shaker.

What to look for when you buy

Questions people ask

What is a NOAA weather radio?

A receiver for NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards, a network of more than 1,000 NWS transmitters broadcasting warnings and forecasts 24 hours a day.

Can a regular radio get NOAA weather broadcasts?

No; NWS says the broadcasts cannot be heard on a simple AM/FM radio, so you need a weather band receiver.

What is SAME on a weather radio?

Specific Area Message Encoding lets the radio sound only for alerts in the counties you program, which NWS says cuts false alarms.

What should I look for in a weather radio?

NWS recommends the Public Alert or NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards logo, a 1050 Hz tone alarm, SAME and battery backup.

Sources

• NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards, National Weather Service
• NWR receivers: consumer information, National Weather Service
• NWR Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME), National Weather Service
• WR120 NOAA Weather and Emergency Alert Radio, Midland
• WR400 Deluxe NOAA Weather Alert Radio, Midland
• E+Ready Window Mount Antenna 18-259W, Midland

Sources checked 2026-10-15.