Metro Skywarn FAQ
FAQ Question #1: What is Skywarn?
(Note: This article is a compilation of oral histories from several sources with years of experience in SKYWARN. The
only well documented source is Galway, 1989. Gropper, 1993 had no citations so may also be of the oral tradition. Any
inaccuracies or new sources of information should be reported to the author.)
SKYWARN is the NWS program of trained volunteer severe weather spotters. SKYWARN Spotters
support their local community and government by providing the NWS and their local emergency managers with timely and
accurate severe weather reports. These reports, when integrated with modern NWS technology, are used to inform
communities of the proper actions to take as severe weather threatens.
Volunteer weather observers were first used in 1849 by the Smithsonian Institution in a national weather observing
system. Special instructions regarding the observation of thunderstorms and tornadoes were first made by the director
of the Smithsonian in 1862. This observation network came under the administration of the U.S. Signal Corps in 1871.
Tornado forecasts first began in 1884, but special instructions were given not to mention the word "tornado" for fear
of panicking the public. From 1887 until 1938, official use of the word "tornado" was banned for fear of causing more
harm than good. After 1938, the only permitted use of the word "tornado" was to alert disaster officials. After 68
years of study by government agencies, public forecasts of tornadoes by the Weather Bureau began in 1952. (Galway,
1989)
In the 1950s, weather spotting, at least in the St. Louis area, was done by the Ground Observer Corps, which was some
sort of military auxiliary group initially trained to search for enemy aircraft. There was a "filter center" where
the reports were "filtered" for relay to The Weather Bureau. Relay was done on the 6 meter amateur band. In the late
1950s, callouts could be heard on AM radio stations for "All Ground Observer Corps members in (list of counties)
report to your posts. Tornado alert is in effect until (time)". The GOC was disbanded on January 31, 1959, just 10
days before the major tornado hit St. Louis on 2/10/59. This tornado was reported to be on the ground some 50 to 75
miles southwest of St. Louis, but there was no formal operation to track or report it. It hit St. Louis around
2:15AM. (Redmann, 1996)
SKYWARN gradually took shape following the April 1965 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak when 51 tornadoes ripped through
the midwest killing 256 people in six states. A survey team appointed by Chief of the Weather Bureau found disturbing
inadequacies in communications, public awareness, severe storm spotting networks and radar coverage. On
recommendations of this survey team, NADWARN was born. One phase of this program
aided communities in developing preparedness plans designed to ensure coordinated action by warning services, local
officials, law enforcement, and the news media. SKYWARN was developed as a tornado preparedness program including
public education about severe weather and tornadoes and safety measures. (Galway, 1989) The term SKYWARN in current
use has come to refer to the coordinated action between the NWS, government emergency management agencies, and
trained volunteer spotter networks; and the public information program.
Despite new NEXRAD radar system and new computer forecasting models at the National Weather Service, they are only
able to determine the potential for severe weather. The parent circulation that potentially develops many tornadoes
is now detectible by radar. However, many other tornadoes cannot be detected by radar especially at a distance and
confirmation of actual tornadoes require an eyewitness. The NWS relies on reports from the public and law enforcement
personnel of actual severe weather.
Accurate and reliable information from the general public is difficult to obtain. Severe weather is complicated and
confusing. The NWS has found that only regular training of weather spotters improves the quality of information.
Spotters include public safety personnel such as as firemen, law enforcement, volunteer citizens with public safety
radios or access to a phone, citizen band radio operators and licensed Amateur Radio Operators.
The NWS collaborates with Amateur Radio organizations and others to put together training
programs. The NWS brings its weather knowledge, the Amateur Radio Service brings its expertise in emergency
communications, and together they work with local government and the Red Cross. The Amateur Radio's operators
participation in the SKYWARN program is formally acknowledged and encouraged in a MOU
between the ARRL and the NWS. This agreement indicates that ARRL will encourage its
local volunteer groups operating as the ARES to provide the NWS with spotters and
communicators as requested by the NWS during times of severe weather. (Gropper, 1993)
Many civil disasters are the direct result of severe weather and/or are exacerbated by severe weather. Accordingly,
the NWS may utilize the SKYWARN Amateur Radio operators not only to obtain and disseminate severe weather
observations and warnings, but may also use them to maintain close coordination with the Red Cross and Emergency
Managers from local government entities under ARES or RACES(Gropper, 1993).
RACES is an organization of volunteer Amateur Radio operators trained in emergency communications and severe weather
spotting. Authorized and regulated by FEMA, RACES provides essential
communications and warning links for state and local governments during emergencies. The importance of this
additional role for SKYWARN was demonstrated during the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew in August of 1992.
Trained SKYWARN observers provide the Weather Service with accurate, and timely reports from radio equipped cars and
homes. The NWS is most interested in severe weather reports. Severe weather includes flash flooding, hail, damaging
winds, a wall cloud (which is the area of a thunderstorm where a tornado could form) and a tornado funnel. If the NWS
confirms severe weather with radar and other available information, it then notifies local authorities who then can
activate Civil Defense sirens. The news media receives notification so they can make reports on local broadcast
stations. Another model of coordination quite common in rural areas has the spotter reporting directly to the local
emergency manager who then passes the information along to the NWS.
SKYWARN spotters contribute many of hours and the use of their own personal radio equipment and vehicles to give
their communities advanced warning of life threatening weather. Since the NWS instituted the SKYWARN Program, there
has been a significant decrease in the death rate due to tornadoes and other severe weather.
References:
1. Galaway, Joseph G. "The Evolution of Severe Thunderstorm Criteria within the Weather Service"; Weather and Forecasting; Vol. 4, pp 585-592; 1989
2. Gropper, Daniel R. SKYWARN Net Control Operations Manual, Washington, DC, 1993
3. Mike Redman, KAØYXU, personal communication, 1996
