Skywarn need you! Participation is easy!
Anyone can participate in Skywarn--even if you don't have a radio or a radio license. How?
- Get trained! Training is VERY important. When severe weather is threatening, timing is crucial. The last thing the National Weather Service needs is dozens of people reporting NON-SEVERE weather like, "It's raining hard!" or "There's LOTS of wind!" or even "I think I saw a funnel cloud!" Training helps you determine was IS severe and what IS NOT, so that live-saving reports can get through when needed the most. Free training is available from the Nation Weather Service office in Shreveport or through SpotterNetwork.org. What you have your training, you can register with one or both of these groups and begin reporting severe weather.
- When threatening or severe weather comes along, find a safe place with a broad view of the sky in the direction of the storms (most storms move west to east, but not all).
- Report severe conditions to the Nation Weather Service Very simple to do and you help may save a life.
- REMEMBER: Skywarn participants are NOT storm chasers. Skywarn weather spotters observe weather from the safety of their location (home, work, outside activities, etc.) and report what they see to a local Skywarn Coordinator or the National Weather Service.
While anyone can participate, those who have radio communications skills, are often better equipped to support the program.
If you are a licensed radio operator (Ham or GMRS) you can join the Enhanced Skywarn program.
What is Enhanced Skywarn?
In the Rusk County area, it is a new approach to a long-established National Weather Service (NWS) Program. Under this new approach, not only are Amateur (Ham) Radio Operators participants in Skywarn, but also GMRS Radio Operators. The result is more eyes and ears on the ground to report severe weather to the NWS. To join:
- Get a radio license! Obtain an Amateur (ham) radio or General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) radio license. Each license has its advantages and the Rusk County ARC can help you get one or both of these.
- Get trained! Training helps you determine was IS severe and what IS NOT, so that live-saving reports can get through when needed the most. Free training is available from the Nation Weather Service office in Shreveport or through SpotterNetwork.org. The Rusk County ARC also offers training for radio communications procedures.
- Get Spotting! When threatening or severe weather comes along, find a safe place with a broad view of the sky. Check into the Rusk County Skaywarn Net on a ham or GMRS repeater. Report severe conditions to the Net Control Station (NCS).
To be clear, Skywarn participants are NOT storm chasers. Skywarn weather spotters observe weather from the safety of their own location (home, work, outside activities, etc.) and report what they see to a local Skywarn Coordinator (often the NCS) who forwards the spotter’s information on to the National Weather Service. The Skywarn Coordinator’s role is to be available by radio, receive spotter reports, ensure that information reported is accurate, and provides such information to NWS in a timely manner.
Skywarn training and orientation provides participants:
- Basics of thunderstorm development.
- Fundamentals of storm structure.
- Identifying potential severe weather features.
- Information & standardized descriptive terminology to report.
- How to report information.
- Basic severe weather safety.
Why is Skywarn important?
NWS says: “In most years, thunderstorms, tornadoes and lightning cause hundreds of injuries and deaths and billions in property and crop damages. To obtain critical weather information, the National Weather Service (NWS) established SKYWARN® with partner organizations. SKYWARN® is a volunteer program with between 350,000 and 400,000 trained severe weather spotters. These volunteers help keep their local communities safe by providing timely and accurate reports of severe weather to the National Weather Service.
Although SKYWARN® spotters provide essential information for all types of weather hazards, the focus is reporting on severe local thunderstorms. In an average year, the United States experiences more than 10,000 severe thunderstorms, 5,000 floods and more than 1,000 tornadoes.
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 form the nation’s first line of defense against severe weather. There can be no finer reward than to know that your efforts have given your family and neighbors the precious gift of time–minutes that can help save lives.”
GMRS is a FCC (Federal Communications Commission) licensed radio service which is heavily oriented toward families and communications between individuals. GMRS is NOT Citizens Band (CB) Radio or based on cellular technology.
While Amateur Radio, due to its global communications capability, requires more technical skills, a passing grade on one or more FCC tests, and an awareness of international communications rules, GMRS usage requires NO testing, the FCC license costs only $35, and is good for 10 years. So, for many with a need for less technical, alternative, non-commercial, non-business communications, GMRS is a good option. Due to the nature of the radio frequencies used by GMRS, it tends to be somewhat more localized in coverage and range, though the use of radio signal repeaters can extend coverage areas.
Amateur & GMRS Radio Operators stand should-to-shoulder in support of our communities and special events like the annual Resurrection Run 10K, and now…Skywarn. Through the combined coverage areas of ham radio repeaters and the GMRS repeater, we have extensive coverage of the Rusk County area.
So if you are already an Amateur or GMRS Radio Operator, join us in Skywarn! If you are not already a radio operator, contact the Rusk County Amateur Radio Club to learn more about how radio can be fun for you, your family, and provide avenues of service to your community.