New York
State National Weather
Service (NWS) Offices:
Severe Weather
Marine
Forecasts
Flash
Flood Guidance
Miscellaneous
The National Weather Service
Storm Spotter Network
SKYWARN is a nationwide
network of volunteer weather
spotters who are trained by
and report to the National
Weather Service (NWS).
Spotters are asked to report
any occurrence of
significant or severe
weather to their SKYWARN
Emergency Coordinator,
SKYWARN Net Controller or
directly to their local
National Weather Service
office. Spotters report many
forms of significant or
severe weather such as
Severe Thunderstorms,
Tornadoes, Hail, Freezing
Rain, Heavy Snow and
Flooding. Because these
reports contain actual
readings of what is being
detected by radar and
satellite, they are of
tremendous assistance in
assessing the status of the
current storm as well as
post-storm damage.
SKYWARN dates to 1965, when
the NWS survey team formed
to investigate the April
1965 Palm Sunday tornado
outbreak found a lack of
coordinated severe storm
spotting networks. While
many SKYWARN spotters are
amateur radio operators,
anyone can become a SKYWARN
spotter. Joining is easy,
and you will find that
providing valuable weather
information is both an
educational and rewarding
experience. All that is
required is attendance at an
interesting 2- to 3-hour
training session offered by
your local NWS office. The
training courses are offered
most often in the spring and
fall of each year and are
held throughout the New York
State. Upcoming SKYWARN
sessions are announced in a
variety of ways including
NOAA Weather Radio, Packet
Radio, SKYWARN newsletters,
and NWS homepages as well as
through local media outlets.
SKYWARN spotter networks are
usually activated whenever
there is a threat of severe
weather, which is usually
preceded by the issuance of
a Severe Thunderstorm Watch,
Tornado Watch, Flood Watch
or some other type of watch.
SKYWARN spotter reports can
be relayed from whatever
your location may be – your
home, office, on the road or
in your neighborhood.
Information is relayed to
the NWS via Amateur Radio,
Packet Radio, Telephone
(800#s) or the Internet.
For more information on the
SKYWARN program in your
area, visit the website of
the NWS office serving your
county at the links listed
below:
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