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TO THE SEVERE LOCAL STORM SPOTTER:

SEVERE WEATHER!!! Its effects are felt by many of us during our lifetimes. To obtain critical weather information, the National
Weather Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and cooperating organizations,
have established SKYWARN Spotter Networks. Although SKYWARN spotters are essential information sources for all types of weather
hazards, your largest responsibility as a SKYWARN spotter is to identify and describe severe local storms. In the average year, 10,000
severe thunderstorms, 5,000 floods, and over 900 tornadoes occur across the United States. During the past 10 years, tornadoes, severe
thunderstorms, and flash floods have killed nearly 2,300 people in the United States and injured thousands of others. Because of storm
spotter reports, such as those you provided, plus the addition of new technology and improved warning dissemination, this death toll was
reduced by more than 800 from the previous 10 years. While the figures still appear staggering, several thousand lives have been saved by
reports from storm spotters.

Your information, coupled with Doppler radar, satellite, and other data, has enabled the National Weather Service to issue more timely
and accurate warnings for tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, and flash floods.  I am pleased that you are part of the ranks of those who form
the Nations first line of defense against severe weather. There can be no finer reward than to know that your efforts have given a
community the precious gift of time.. .seconds and minutes that can save lives.

Sincerely,
 
 

John B. Jones, J
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Weather Services

The Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Wakefield issues warnings for tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and flash flooding. The
capabilities of the WSR-88D (NEXRAD) has enabled us to detect severe weather phenomena and provide increased lead time in our
warnings. However, we still need ground truth to supplement our warnings. This is where you come in! We need storm spotters,
especially in the rural areas in our county warning area. Bill Sammler, our Warning Coordination Meteorologist (WCM) has developed a
storm spotter training program. If you would like to inquire about becoming a storm spotter or want more information on one of the training
sessions below, click here to send an e-mail message to Bill.

The NWS Wakefield SKYWARN network has grown by more than 500 members since 1994. To become a
part of this ever growing network of weather enthusiasts and severe weather volunteers, we ask that
you meet the following requirements:

1) Attend 1 session of the "Basic SKYWARN class". These classes are free of charge, last about 3 hours, and
provide the student with materials and classroom type instruction necessary to be a spotter. ATTENDANCE AT
FOLLOW-UP TRAINING IS RECOMMENDED EVERY 2 YEARS TO UPDATE AND ENHANCE THE INITIAL
TRAINING.

2) Complete the SKYWARN Sign-Up Form, either at the class or at home, and return it to the training instructor.
This form can be mailed to the address provided. These forms give the NWS vital information we use to contact
you during severe weather, and to mail you our spotter newsletter, The Spotter's Page.

It's that simple. Once you've completed steps 1 and 2, all we ask is your participation during severe weather
situations. Thank you for your interest in the SKYWARN program.

From  the ARRL Operating Manual 1998,

Nasty weather hits somewhere every day. Long ago, amateurs exchanged simple information among
themselves about the approach and progress of storms. Next, concerned hams phoned the weather
offices to share a few reports they thought might be of particular interest to the public. National Weather
Service forecasters were relying on spotters: police, sheriff, highway patrol. Emergency government and
trained individuals who reported weather information by telephone. But when severe weather strikes,
professional spotters may be burdened with law enforcement tasks, phone lines may become
overloaded, special communication circuits might go out of service or, worse yet, there can be a loss of
electrical power. Because of these uncertainties, weather center officials welcomed amateur operators
and encouraged them to install their battery powered radio equipment on-site so forecasters could
monitor the weather nets, request specific area observations and maintain communications in a serious
emergency.

Those first, informal weather nets had great potential to access perhaps hundreds of observers in a wide
area. Many Meteorologists-in-Charge (MIC’s) eagerly began to instruct hams in the types of information
needed during severe-weather emergencies, including radar interpreting. Eventually, Amateur Radio
SKYWARN operations developed as an important part of community disaster preparedness programs.
Accurate observations and rapid communications during extreme weather situations now proves to be
fundamental to the NWS, Amateur Radio operators nationwide are a first-response group invaluable to
the success of an early storm-warning effort. Weather spotting is popular because the procedures are
easy to learn and reports can be given from the relative safety and convenience of a home or an auto.
For example, during a severe-storm episode in Wisconsin in 1994, there was danger of local flooding. A
quick check of conditions at the homes of hams operating  ARES net rapidly revealed trouble spots over
a 40 mile area. This information proved invaluable to emergency government and weather officials, yet
no ham had to leave home to participate.

Weather reports on a severe-weather net are limited to drastic weather data, unless specifically
requested by the control operator. So, most amateurs monitor net operations transmit only when they can
help.

Weather forecasters, depending on their geographical location, need certain information.
During the summer or thunderstorm season report:

•  Tornadoes, funnels or wall clouds.
•  Hail.
•  Damaging winds, usually 50 miles per hour or greater
•  Flash flooding.
•  Heavy rains, rate of 2 inches per hour or more,
•  
•  During the winter or snow season report:
•  High winds,
•  Heavy, drifting snow,
•  Freezing precipitation,
•  Sleet.
•  New snow accumulation of 2 or more inches.

 Here's a four-step method to describe the weather you spot:

1)  What:   Tornadoes, funnels, heavy rain and snow.
2)  Where: Direction and distance from a known location
                   for example, 3 miles south of Newington.
3)  When:  Time of observation.
4)  How:    Storm's direction, speed of travel, size, intensity and destructiveness. Include uncertainty as
                   needed. (“Funnel cloud, but too far away to be certain it is on the ground.”)

Alerting the Weather Net:

The Net Control Station, using a VHF repeater, directs maintains control over traffic being passed on
the Weather Net.. The station also collates reports, relates pertinent material to. the Weather Service
and organizes liaison with other area repeaters. Priority Stations, those that are assigned tactical call
signs, may call any other station without going through net control. The NCS might start the net upon
hearing a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) radio alert. or upon request by
NWS or the EC. The NCS should keep in mind that the general public and or government officials might be
listening to net operations with scanners.
Here are some guidelines an NCS might use to initiate and handle a severe-weather net on a
repeater:
1) Activate alert tone on repeater,
2) Read weather-net activation format.
3) Appoint a backup NCS to copy and log all traffic—and to take over in the event the NCS goes off-
the-air or needs relief.
4) Ask NWS for the current weather status.
5) Check in all available operators.
6) Assign operators to priority stations and liaisons.
7) Give severe-weather report outline and updates.
8) Be apprised of situations and assignments by EC. -
9) Periodically read instructions on net procedures and types of severe weather to report.
10) Acknowledge and respond to all calls immediately,
11) Require that net stations request permission to leave the net.
12) During periods of inactivity and to keep the frequency open, make periodic announcements that a
net is in progress.
13) Close the net after operations conclude.  Please be sure to thank all for their help.

We would like to list all EC's and Skywarn Cords for DE, MD & VA. on this page.  Please email me with this information so

We can put the info up. 

VA - Accomack County -  Dennis Cope  KD4NVM  monitors Accomac 147.255 and 146.925 repeaters.  Phone 757-824-5944

Dennis
KD4NVM
Skywarn Cord.
Accomack County, Va.