Disclosure: If you buy using an affiliate link on this page, we may earn a commission.
EmergencyRadio.org

WXJ39: NOAA Weather Radio for Providence, Rhode Island

WXJ39 is the NOAA Weather Radio transmitter at Providence (transmitter at Johnston), broadcasting on 162.400 MHz at 500 watts. It carries the National Weather Service Boston/Norton office's broadcast and covers 6 counties, each listed below with the SAME code an alert radio needs to wake for that county and stay quiet for the rest.

CallsignWXJ39
Frequency162.400 MHz
TransmitterProvidence (transmitter at Johnston), Rhode Island
Power500 watts
Forecast officeNWS Boston/Norton
StatusNormal (NWS data, July 2026)

Marine radios often label 162.400 MHz as WX2, but WX channel numbers vary by brand - go by the frequency.

Counties WXJ39 covers

CountyStateSAME codeNote
BristolMassachusetts025005
BristolRhode Island044001
KentRhode Island044003
NewportRhode Island044005
ProvidenceRhode Island044007
WashingtonRhode Island044009INCLUDING BLOCK IS

A county marked with a note (for example partial coverage) is served for that portion only. Program the six-digit code into your radio's SAME location list - the SAME code guide walks through it, and how alert radios work explains what the radio does with it.

A radio that will use this code

WXJ39 alerts are only useful inside a radio you can program the s codes above into. Two that do it, for two different jobs.

At home, always on

Midland WR120B. Mains desk radio with battery backup. Program the SAME code from the table and it stays silent until your county specifically is warned, then wakes you.

Check current price (Amazon)

In the bag or the car

Midland ER310. Crank, solar and USB, with a flashlight. Receives WXJ39 the same as anything else; it does not do SAME alerting. The one still working on day three of an outage.

Check current price (Amazon)

Hearing WXJ39

Any receiver that tunes 162.400 MHz FM can listen: scanners, VHF ham radios, marine sets, or a software-defined receiver. What those do not do is wake you at 3 a.m. - for that you want a dedicated radio with SAME alerting, covered in the buyer's guide.

Every Rhode Island transmitter, county and SAME code: NOAA Weather Radio in Rhode Island. Or look any county up with the finder.

Sources: