SKYWARN storm spotting

SKYWARN® is the National Weather Service's volunteer storm-spotter program. Trained spotters report what they actually see — hail size, wind damage, flooding, rotation, tornadoes — so forecasters can confirm what radar suggests and warn faster.

You do not need a ham license to be a SKYWARN spotter. Amateur radio is one common way spotters report, especially when phones are overloaded, but the training and the program are open to everyone.

Independent guide. Not affiliated with or endorsed by NOAA or the National Weather Service. SKYWARN® is a registered trademark of NOAA's National Weather Service; this page uses the name only to describe the program.

SKYWARN v1.0 · written 2026-10-08 · checked against weather.gov as of Oct 2026

Who can join and what the training covers

Anyone with an interest in public service — NWS specifically invites first responders, dispatchers, utility workers, school and hospital staff, and private citizens (NWS SKYWARN).
Training is free and typically lasts about 2 hours. Local NWS forecast offices run the classes, usually in their quieter season, so schedules vary by office.
Topics: how thunderstorms form, storm structure, spotting severe features, what to report, how to report it, and basic severe-weather safety.

Find a class: SKYWARN programs by state and office. If no class is posted, contact your local NWS office. Some offices also accept online coursework from the COMET/MetEd learning portal (free account) — ask your office whether it counts locally.

Study aid: the NWS Spotter's Field Guide — safety first, what to report, thunderstorm and tornado basics.

What to report (typical NWS criteria)

Your local office's training sets the exact list. Common examples:

Report	Notes
Tornado, funnel cloud, rotating wall cloud	Say what you see and the direction of travel. Do not guess.
Hail	Size compared with a measured object or a ruler, not "golf-ball-ish" from a moving car.
Wind	Measured or estimated speed, and the damage (trees down, size of limbs, structural damage).
Flooding	Water over roads, rapid rises, rescues. Never drive into water.
Heavy rain or snow	Amounts and time period, if your office asks for them.
Damage	What, where, when. Photos help after the danger passes.

Every report needs what, where (precise location), and when. Use the time you saw it, not when you sent it.

How to report

The method your office trains you on — phone number, web form, or a local spotter net.
mPING — free phone app for public weather reports, developed by NOAA's National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL), the University of Oklahoma and CIWRO; anyone can submit.
Amateur radio SKYWARN nets — in many areas, a net control station on a local repeater collects spotter reports and relays them to the NWS office. Some offices host amateur stations staffed by volunteers during severe weather. Check your local office's SKYWARN page and local repeater listings.
Emergency? Call 911 first for life-threatening situations. Spotter reports are not a substitute.

Where ham radio fits

Licensed spotters can check into SKYWARN nets during activations. Net procedure is the same as any directed net: listen, wait for the call for check-ins, give your call sign and location, report only when asked or when you have priority traffic — see First net.
Running a net? Net Scribe on this site logs check-ins and reports with UTC times.
SKYWARN Recognition Day — an on-air event started in 1999 by the NWS and ARRL to thank volunteer spotters. The NWS listed it as cancelled for 2025; check the NWS SKYWARN Recognition Day page for 2026 status before planning.
Spotting pairs naturally with emergency communications: Emcomm.

Safety first

Never put yourself in danger to get a report. Spotting from a safe, fixed location with an escape route is normal.
Lightning: if you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck (NWS lightning safety). Stay in a hard-topped vehicle or a substantial building; no outdoor antenna work.
Flooding: turn around at water over the road.
Driving: a passenger handles radio and phone; the driver drives.
Know the day's outlook before you go: Storm Prediction Center and a NOAA Weather Radio receiver at home.

Checklist — spotter readiness

Completed a local NWS class (date and office noted)
Office's reporting phone/web form saved; mPING installed
Local SKYWARN net repeater(s) programmed and printed (if licensed)
Ruler or coin reference for hail; notebook; watch set to local time and UTC
Safe observation spots near home picked in advance

Sources (checked Oct 2026)

NWS: SKYWARN, programs by office, Spotter's Field Guide, SKYWARN Recognition Day, lightning safety, NOAA Weather Radio. Storm Prediction Center. mPING. COMET/MetEd.

v1.0, 2026-10-08.

Notes & edits

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