Andover, New Jersey

... Skywarn spotters relay critical weather information...

Today is the final day of Pennsylvania weather emergency
preparedness week. We have covered various topics relating to
severe weather and weather safety.

Our final topic today is... Skywarn severe weather spotters.

Each year... a dedicated group of volunteer weather observers... known
as Skywarn spotters... provide National Weather Service offices
across the country with important... eyewitness... information about
tornadoes... flash floods and damaging thunderstorms.

Skywarn spotters are people with an interest in the weather... and
an interest in helping others.

A large number of Skywarn spotters are ham radio operators.
Amateur radio emergency groups and amateur radio clubs relay
important information to emergency management and to the National
Weather Service by radio.

National Weather Service offices operate a Skywarn radio station
whenever tornado or severe thunderstorm watches or warnings are
in effect across the commonwealth. Volunteers at the National
Weather Service office broadcast radar information about the
location of possible tornadoes and severe thunderstorms.
At the same time... they solicit reports from Skywarn volunteers
and other citizens in the areas of concern.

While Doppler weather radars can help meteorologists identify
rotating thunderstorms... Skywarn spotters can help to pinpoint
places where a tornado may form... even before a tornado touches
ground. Skywarn spotters are also essential to confirm that
tornadoes have touched down... to report on the extent of damage...
and to provide added details of a threat to a community.

To our many friends in the Skywarn program... we at the National
Weather Service say... thank you for your great help.

Be prepared for the ravages of this severe weather season... and
consider becoming a Skywarn spotter.