- WHAT IS SKYWARN? A nation wide volunteer network of severe weather “storm spotters.” Started by the National Weather Service (NWS) in the late 1960’s the program teaches you how to Identify, Evaluate, and Report severe weather events.
- HOW DOES SKYWARN WORK? During hazardous weather events trained spotters report what is happening at their location. This includes: Tornadoes, Funnel Clouds, Flooding, High winds, Hail, Damage, Low Visibility, Snow, Ice, and Rain measurements. Reports to the NWS are relayed by phone, smartphone app, internet, email, and ham radio.
- WHY HAVE SPOTTERS? The NWS needs to know what the storms are doing at ground level. “Ground-truth” spotter reports allow the meteorologist to better correlate radar data with spotter reports to issue more accurate warnings, thus protecting life and property.
- WHO CAN BE A STORM SPOTTER? Just about anyone. From young adults to retirees, they come from all walks of life. A keen interest in weather and serving their community is a common bond. Typically they are volunteer groups and organizations, or emergency service personal (fire, police, sheriff, etc).
- HOW DO I BECOME A SPOTTER? (1) Attend the spring training classes. In Southern Wisconsin these programs run from February to May. (2) Our website has a link or the NWS website for times and dates. (3) Online training sites. (4) Renew your training at least every other year.
- DESCRIBE THE TRAINING PROGRAMS: Generally free of charge, open to the public, and for the beginners. They run about 2.5 hours using multimedia formats and close with a question-answer period.
- LEGAL MATTERS: Will I be paid as a storm spotter? No. Storm spotters volunteer their time. Age limits for spotters? Prefer adults 18 years and older, maturity is essential. Who is responsible? Spotting can be dangerous; you accept all risks. Will I receive an I-D, Official number, or certificate? Some organizations issue them others do not.
- WHO DEPLOYS THE SPOTTERS? The National Weather Service may request deployment in a particular region and time, but the individual spotters and groups decide when they are active.
- WHERE DO I STORM SPOT FROM? From any location; at home, at work, or on the road. The highest priority is your personal safety and accurate reports. A second priority is some form of communications to relay your observations and reports.
- STORM SPOTTER OR STORM CHASER? Both spotters and chasers sometimes perform similar functions. Spotters typically remain in their community and report their observations from home, work, or vehicle. Chasers will drive several hundred miles to intercept forecasted storms for scientific research, to take pictures or videos, or for tours and profits. They may or may not report their observations
- SKYWARN AND HAM RADIO: A large percentage of storm spotters are license ham radio operators. During selected severe weather events they activate their frequencies to make real time reports. These radio frequencies can be heard on most programmable radio scanners. For the Milwaukee Area it is operated on 146.910
- WHAT EQUIPMENT DO I NEED? Storm reports are relayed to the NWS via cellphone, smartphone, tablet or computer connected to Facebook, Twitter, or the NWS website. With your network connected it can be done in 45 seconds.
Milwaukee Area Skywarn Association
The Identification, Evaluation, and Reporting of Dangerous Weather
