Train now!  Tomorrow may be to late!!

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Skywarn® Spotter Training
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SKYWARN

National Program

NWS SKYWARN Storm Spotter Program

Weather.gov > SKYWARN

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. Who is eligible and how do I get started? NWS encourages anyone with an interest in public service to join the SKYWARN® program. Volunteers include police and fire personnel, dispatchers, EMS workers, public utility workers and other concerned private citizens. Individuals affiliated with hospitals, schools, churches and nursing homes or who have a responsibility for protecting others are encouraged to become a spotter. Ready to learn more? Find a class in your area. Training is free and typically lasts about 2 hours. You'll learn: Basics of thunderstorm development Fundamentals of storm structure Identifying potential severe weather features Information to report How to report information Basic severe weather safety Need help with other local information such as a missing class schedule? If you need help with a class schedule, contact your local Warning Coordination Meteorologist.  He or she can let you know about upcoming classes. Classes typically are held in an office's relatively slow season.  Classes are NOT typically offered all year.  Schedules vary from office to office.  Looking for our free online program? Just click on General Users (register here). After registering, you can attend the SKYWARN® Spotter Registration, Role of the Skywarn Spotter, and Skywarn Spotter Convective Basics courses. Some offices also ask that you take a local class to learn about weather unique to your area. SKYWARN name and logo are trademarked: SKYWARN® is a registered trademark of NOAA's National Weather Service.  Please read the rules for the usage of the SKYWARN® name and logo. Supplemental Resources NWSI 10-1807 Cloud Chart Cloud Chart (Español) Navajo Weather Poster NWS Weather Field Spotter's Guide NWS Weather Field Spotter's Guide (Español) Mobile version of the Spotter's Guide SKYWARN Spotters ACES Safety Guidance NWS-ARRL Memorandum of Understanding NWS-Spotter Network Memorandum of Understanding Example of State Partnered SKYWARN Weather Spotter The collection of Skywarn information is authorized under the OMB Control Number included in the Paperwork Reduction Act and Privacy Act statements you can access here.

​Dates and Registration Links

General Information - Logistics, notifications, etc.

Equipment Requirements - Please review this before you attend/register

Additional Spotter Training Resources

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General Information

• You only need to attend ONE session.
• Training is free to attend
• Registration is required for virtual sessions and strongly recommended for in person sessions to ensure sufficient seating
   
• Program lasts approximately 2 hours - we will take a brief stretch break
• The training IS NOT county specific
• Recommended age is 14 and older

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Questions?
Call: 574-834-1104
Email: nws.northernindiana@noaa.gov
Facebook: @NWSNorthernindiana
Twitter: @NWSIWX

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Local Skywarn Nets

 

Fulton County Skywarn Net is every Thursday @ 7 PM on the 146.805 repeater. PL tone of 131.8

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ELKHART COUNTY SKYWARN

FACEBOOK: @elkhartcountyskywarn  

(574) 364-5758

Skywarn spotters watch the weather and give reports to the National Weather Service to keep everyone safe.

Ham Radio call sign is: KD9FCT

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US National Weather Service Northern Indiana  · 

The National Weather Service is looking for more Skywarn Spotters, and this is your chance to join thousands of others who report the weather. Interested?

Here's how - ow.ly/mWNB50HH62y

Northern Indiana Skywarn Page:

www.weather.gov/iwx/iwxskywarn

This page includes spotter resources, training links, spotter reference documentation. I recommend bookmarking and reviewing annually, more frequently leading up to significant weather events. There are three sections

•             Realtime Weather

Real time weather information including forecasts, hazardous weather outlook, and Storm Prediction Center outlooks. Links to NWS social media are also provided. - being aware of what to expect before the weather turns!

•             Training and Reference

Training provided by other sources including MetEd and spotternetwork.org, also includes other handy references for spotters regarding hail size chart, Beaufort wind chart, local area severe weather climatology, and more.

•             Reporting Procedures

How to make a spotter report and sources that can be used to make a spotter report.

Spotter Numbers:

The NWS Northern Indiana does NOT issue spotter numbers. We have found that properly trained spotters report in the proper format (TEL Method - Time Event Location) and the spotter numbers only cause confusion during already stressful and chaotic events.

 

Spotter Database:

We currently maintain a list of over 4000 spotters. The list is updated annually to remove spotters who have not attended training in the past three years and to remove inactive spotters. That being said, we rarely (if ever) use this list for anything other than maintaining approximate locations and contacts, should the need arise.  During active weather we DO NOT actively cross reference the spotter list when we receive a report.  We have found that properly trained spotters will use the TEL method (Time, Event Location.) Using the TEL method sets trained spotters apart from untrained spotters - and we can tell from the report if a person is trained or not.

 

Training Certificates:

We do not have the space, time, or resources to maintain certificates of training.  We ask that spotters maintain copies for your records.  Additionally, we do not offer 'advanced' spotter training. In reality, radar operations and interpretation are unnecessary for spotters. This stance is unpopular in the spotter/chaser community - but the NWS mission is to save lives, minimize losses, and help public officials make weather related decisions.  The NWS does not have the responsibility, nor the resources to provide hundreds of hours of meteorological training related to the operation and interpretation of radar, computer models, upper air soundings, atmospheric parameterization, numerical modeling, etc. There are many courses and colleges that offer this type of education, and I would encourage reviewing the handful of recommended baseline courses on the NWS Northern Indiana Skywarn Page.

 

Where to go from here:

Practice -

•             what does a good report look like and are you ready to report to the NWS?

•             What to report to the NWS and what methods work best for given events?

Communications -

•             What tools are you able to use to reach the NWS? 

Find a link to most of the reporting tools on the IWX Skywarn Page.

•             Do you have redundant communications?

Amateur Radio, cell phone, land line, internet

•             Does your amateur radio club have a procedure for net control operations that includes NWSChat Weather Liaisons? 

We work with the Net Control operators to gain access to NWSChat for the purpose of monitoring and reporting to the NWS directly.

•             Do you have access to social media and regularly monitor the NWS Facebook and/or Twitter accounts? 

Facebook and/or Twitter and bookmark our webpage and YouTube channel

•             Do you have the toll-free number saved and ready for reporting? 

This is only provided during our LIVE training sessions (virtual AND/OR in-person)

Additional Training:

•             Have you attended the Fall AND Spring spotter training sessions (virtual)?

•             Have you reviewed the online training from MetEd and/or Spotter Network - (find these on the IWX Skywarn Page)?

Coordinating with Local EMA:

•             Have you worked with the Local EMA office to assure you are aware of other local operational requirements and expectations?