What is SKYWARN®?
By Katherine Gill on February 28, 2012, 12:00am
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To gather critical weather information, NOAAs National Weather Service (NWS), part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, established SKYWARN®, a volunteer program that now boasts more than 290,000 trained severe weather spotters. These volunteers, including myself, provide timely and accurate reports of severe weather to the NWS. I do this via local ham radio weather reports.
According to the group, "Since the program started in the 1970s, the information provided by SKYWARN spotters, coupled with Doppler radar technology, improved satellite and other data, has enabled NWS to issue more timely and accurate warnings for tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and flash floods. SKYWARN storm spotters are part of the ranks of citizens who form the Nation’s first line of defense against severe weather. There can be no finer reward than to know that their efforts have given communities the precious gift of time–seconds and minutes that can help save lives."
Along with other local ham radio operators, when I get on air to give severe weather reports, I hear volunteers including police and fire personnel, dispatchers, EMS workers, public utility workers and other folks in the line of civic duty. Individuals affiliated with hospitals, schools, churches, nursing homes or who have a responsibility for protecting others are also encouraged to become a spotter. What do we report on? Check out this list for weather reporting criteria: http://wx1box.org/node/35.
SKYWARN has long been associated with amateur radio. Many NWS offices maintain an amateur radio station that is manned by amateur radio operators during times of severe weather. In New England, we work with WX1BOX, the Southern New England Amateur Radio SKYWARN out of Taunton, MA. This station allows licensed amateur radio spotters to transmit their severe weather reports directly to the NWS and receive up-to-date severe weather updates even if regular communications are disrupted or overloaded by the weather emergency.
Participation in the SKYWARN program does not, however, require an amateur radio license. More than half of all SKYWARN spotters are not licensed amateur radio operators. Those without radio communication capability can still make their reports via cellphone, landline telephone, or the Internet when those are still functioning. For more information on Storm Coordination messages, visit: http://www.wx1box.org/. Local amateur radio users, a handy weather net frequency list is posted here: http://wx1box.org/node/37.
If you're interested in becoming trained for SKYWARN, training is conducted several times a year at local offices. Classes are free and typically are about two hours long. To find out when a SKYWARN class will be conducted in local your area, contact your local Warning Coordination Meteorologist at: http://www.stormready.noaa.gov/contact.htm or visit this page online: http://skywarn.org/skywarn-training/. You can follow SKYWARN members online at skywarn.org or on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/skywarnspotter and Twitter: @wxreport.
Stay tuned for an upcoming article where I'll show you how local amateur radio operators will make weather reports during this week's snow storm.
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