What Is Skywarn and Why Does It Matter?
Skywarn is a program of the National Weather Service whose mission is to collect reports of localized severe weather in the United States. These reports are used to aid forecasters in issuing and verifying severe weather watches and warnings and to improve the forecasting and warning processes and the tools used to collect meteorological data. Put simply, it is the nation's human sensor network — a vast grid of trained eyes and ears positioned across thousands of communities, reporting conditions that no satellite or radar can fully capture.
The Origins of Skywarn and NOAA Partnership
Skywarn is a National Weather Service program developed in the 1960s that consists of trained weather spotters who provide reports of severe and hazardous weather to help meteorologists make life-saving warning decisions. The program evolved from much earlier spotting efforts that trace their roots even further. After the May 25, 1955 tornado in Udall, Kansas killed 80 people, the NWS decided to train their own severe weather spotters, and the first spotter training course was held March 8, 1959 in Wellington, Kansas for 225 weather spotters. Over the following decades, the network expanded dramatically. Today, Skywarn is a citizen volunteer program with between 350,000 and 400,000 trained severe weather spotters.
How Skywarn Saves Lives Through Real-Time Reporting
Modern meteorological tools are extraordinary, but they have a fundamental limitation: they cannot tell a forecaster what is actually happening on the ground. Although the NWS has access to data from Doppler radar, satellite, and surface weather stations, technology cannot detect every instance of hazardous weather. Spotters help fill in the gaps by reporting hail, wind damage, flooding, heavy snow, tornadoes, and waterspouts. Radar is an excellent tool, but it is just that — one tool among many that NWS uses.
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.
Spotters typically report events such as structures struck by lightning, rotating wall clouds, and funnel clouds — or conditions that exceed specific thresholds such as extremely strong winds, significant hail, or very heavy rainfall. The exact reporting thresholds can vary by region and may even dynamically change during a severe weather event. Spotters also give reports during winter storms, floods, hurricanes, and wildfires.
The Role of Amateur Radio in the Skywarn Network
Many Skywarn spotters use methods to communicate with one another during severe storm events. A notable example of this is through the use of amateur radio nets, which is still an important method since severe weather can significantly disrupt local telecommunications systems. Many NWS offices maintain an amateur radio station that is manned by amateur radio operators during times of severe weather. This 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.
How Ham Radio Operators Fit Into Skywarn
Why Amateur Radio Is the Backbone of Storm Spotting
For decades, amateur radio operators have provided invaluable service in support of the Skywarn storm spotter program by using their unique communications capabilities to share critical information between the NWS, the local emergency management officials, and storm spotter networks. Ham radio's ability to function completely off the commercial grid makes it uniquely resilient. Amateur radio operators use their training, skills, and equipment to provide communications during emergencies. Hams serve communities when storms or other disasters damage critical communication infrastructure, including cell towers and wired and wireless networks. Amateur radio can function completely independently of the internet and phone systems.
Amateur radio operators comprise the backbone of many spotter networks. Most amateur radio networks include an operator at the NWS office for quick relay of reports and direction of spotters in the field to "hot spots." This has proven to be an effective, efficient method of relaying severe weather observations.
Skywarn vs. ARES and RACES: Understanding the Overlap
Skywarn, ARES, and RACES are three distinct programs that intersect frequently in the ham radio emergency communications world. Understanding their differences helps you participate more effectively. ARES stands for the Amateur Radio Emergency Service and is sponsored by the ARRL. The purpose of ARES is to provide an organized cadre of trained ham communicators who are ready, willing, and able to respond at the local level when normal communications fail or become inadequate in an emergency situation. RACES stands for the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service. RACES is more formally organized than ARES, operating under the overall control of the Department of Homeland Security, and requiring that ham operators register with the local emergency services authority before they can participate. Where ARES groups and operators can respond on an ad-hoc basis to emergencies, RACES operators must be activated by the local government entity with which they are registered.
Skywarn occupies a slightly different lane. It is a weather-specific volunteer program administered by the NWS, not the ARRL or FEMA. Many operators hold dual membership. Beyond ARES and RACES, Skywarn trains hams as severe weather spotters for the National Weather Service. In practice, many ARES Emergency Coordinators appoint a dedicated Skywarn coordinator within their section, making the programs deeply complementary. ARES Emergency Coordinators may appoint AECs to oversee the Skywarn severe weather spotting network, net managing, training direction, or public information functions.
Volunteer Spotter vs. Amateur Radio Operator: Key Differences
It is important to note that you do not need a ham radio license to be a Skywarn spotter. Participation in the Skywarn program does not require an amateur radio license. More than half of all Skywarn spotters are not licensed amateur radio operators. Many Skywarn spotters are members of emergency services such as volunteer fire departments, rescue squads, ambulance units, or police or sheriff's departments. However, a licensed ham radio operator brings significantly enhanced capability to the role. With an amateur radio license, you can transmit on dedicated Skywarn net frequencies, check in with Net Control, relay real-time reports directly into the NWS communication chain, and operate independently of commercial infrastructure. A Technician class license — the entry-level FCC license — is all you need to operate on the VHF and UHF frequencies used by the vast majority of Skywarn nets.
Getting Skywarn Trained and Certified
Finding a Skywarn Training Class Near You
Storm spotter training is available to the public as conducted by the local NOAA/NWS Forecast Office on an annual scheduled basis. Every year, NWS offices offer multiple Skywarn training classes, and these classes are usually held between January and March, before the spring severe weather season. To locate a class near you, visit your local NWS Weather Forecast Office website (weather.gov) and look for the Skywarn or Storm Spotter section. Your community may have an organized storm spotter network that uses the Skywarn name, and you should contact your local emergency manager to find out what formal spotter networks are in place near you and how you might be able to get involved. Classes are free and open to anyone.
Online Skywarn Training Through COMET and NWS
If in-person classes are unavailable or you want to supplement your knowledge before attending one, official online training is available. Online Skywarn Spotter Training Courses are offered by the COMET Program as part of its educational partnership with the National Weather Service. The goal of the course is to provide baseline training for all spotters through multiple modules covering the procedures for spotting, including communication and spotter report criteria, and safety considerations for all hazards.
If you can't attend one of the classes in person, official Skywarn training is available online through the COMET program. COMET is a cooperative program between the National Weather Service and the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). Key modules include the "Role of the Skywarn Spotter," which covers program history and communication procedures, and "Skywarn Spotter Convective Basics," which guides users to a basic understanding of convective storms, covering through three different scenarios the reporting and proper communication of local storm reports to the National Weather Service. Be aware that many NWS offices require training in addition to this online course. Always check with your local WFO to confirm what is required for full certification in your region.
What to Expect During Skywarn Spotter Training
Free local training provided by local NWS typically lasts about two hours. The Skywarn presentation covers severe thunderstorm characteristics, cloud formations, identifying the different threats associated with severe storms, how to report, and basic weather safety. You will learn how to identify features such as wall clouds, funnel clouds, and rotating updraft bases. You will also be taught proper reporting protocol — how to format a report, what information to include, and how to relay it efficiently during a net activation. Training cannot and should not take place on the job during severe weather. Proper training is essential for the effective flow of information between Skywarn spotters and the NWS and/or emergency management personnel.
Renewing and Updating Your Skywarn Certification
NWS recommends attendance at refresher courses every two years. Some WFOs have their own specific requirements — for instance, some offices require taking a Skywarn training every three years to remain active in the program. NWS strongly recommends that everyone attend a Skywarn presentation at least once a year to refresh on these concepts. Refresher training keeps you current on any changes to reporting thresholds, new storm identification techniques, and updated safety guidelines. Many local clubs and ARES groups hold annual review sessions specifically designed for returning spotters.
Skywarn Operating Procedures and Frequencies
How to Find Your Local Skywarn Net Frequency
Skywarn net frequencies are entirely local and vary significantly by region. There is no single national Skywarn frequency. Instead, each NWS Weather Forecast Office coordinates with local amateur radio clubs and ARES groups to designate primary and backup repeater frequencies for their coverage area. Amateur radio operators provide critical communication support during severe weather events, and the primary and alternate frequencies used by county emergency nets are specific to each NWS coverage area. To find your local frequency, visit your nearest NWS WFO website and look for the ham radio or Skywarn section. You can also check the RepeaterBook directory, contact your local ARES Emergency Coordinator, or search RadioReference.com for Skywarn frequencies in your state.
For storm spotting and chasing, 2 meters is the most popular band. Most Skywarn repeaters are on 2m and it is also the most popular for simplex. Getting a dual-band radio that does both VHF and UHF is advisable. It is getting harder and harder to get coordinated VHF pairs for repeaters, so there are more Skywarn nets on UHF frequencies than ever. It will cost a little more, but at some point you will regret it if you only have VHF and can't hear a net on UHF.
Skywarn Net Activation: When and How It Happens
Skywarn nets do not run continuously. They are activated in response to developing weather threats and operate under a tiered system based on threat level. Often, if one waits until a warning is issued, it is too late to organize spotters, collect reports, and relay them to the NWS in a timely manner. To be a well-coordinated and effective operation, protocol must be followed: NWS determines a need for Skywarn activation and activates the Skywarn pagers. The Skywarn Amateur Radio Coordinator, or designate, calls the NWS to get briefed by the weather forecasters and to determine their staffing needs.
It is up to the net control operator to determine what level of net activation is required given certain circumstances. The degree needed varies but could be effectively arranged in a four-tier system. Standby mode is typically activated during a watch, while directed net (warning) mode is engaged when severe weather is imminent or occurring. The net has two common modes: Standby (watch) mode and Directed Net (warning) mode. In standby mode, normal repeater use continues but operators should keep transmissions short and leave enough time between transmissions to allow spotters to break in.
