What is Skywarn?
The National Weather Service volunteer spotter program
SKYWARN is the National Weather Service (NWS) storm spotter program. It is run with partner organizations and relies on volunteers, and the NWS puts the number of trained spotters at roughly 350,000 to 400,000. The program dates back to the 1970s.
The main purpose is simple: spotters send timely, accurate reports of severe local weather, mostly thunderstorms, to the NWS. Those ground-level reports help forecasters issue better warnings for tornadoes, severe storms and flash floods, and that gives people more time to get to safety.
Why ham radio?
Reports that still get through
Amateur radio operators have long been a backbone of Skywarn. When power, phones or the internet go down, a ham with a radio can still pass a storm report along. The NWS and the ARRL have a formal agreement that supports this partnership, and W8CRC is proud to be part of it.
- Skywarn and weather education are a core part of what our club does
- Our Tuesday night net at 7:00 PM welcomes all check-ins
- We support ARES and the ARRL, so weather reports and emergency communications go hand in hand
Become a spotter
Free, and open to anyone
Anyone with an interest in public service can become a spotter. That includes private citizens as well as police, fire, EMS, dispatch and utility workers. Training is free and takes about two hours. It covers how thunderstorms develop, storm structure, what to look for, what and how to report, and basic safety.
Classes are held locally by each NWS office, usually in its slower season, so they are not offered all year. Check the schedule and plan ahead.
