SKYWARN™
SKYWARN™ is a national effort to save lives during severe weather emergencies with an expanding network of trained weather spotters. The services performed by SKYWARN™ spotters have saved many lives.
The National Weather Service has a number of devices for detecting severe thunderstorms. Included in these are Doppler radar, satellite, and lightning detection networks. However, the most important tool for observing thunderstorms is the trained eye of the storm spotter.
By providing observations, SKYWARN™ spotters assist National Weather Service members in their warning decisions and enable the National Weather Service to fulfill its mission of protecting life and property.
Storm spotters are, and always will be, an indispensable part of the severe local warning program.
The National Weather Service office in Buffalo participates in the annual ARRL - SKYWARN™ special event. For details on the national event, QSL instructions and the rest of the statistics, check out the Special event homepage.
SKYWARN™ is a nationwide program of spotters that report severe weather to the National Weather Service. Anyone can become a SKYWARN™ spotter for the National Weather Service, all you have to do is attend one of our Spotter Training Sessions. There is no charge for the training.
SKYWARN™ training sessions are held throughout our area of responsibility based on demand. SKYWARN training sessions for Severe Convective Weather (Thunderstorms, Tornadoes, Flash Floods, etc.) are conducted from March through May. SKYWARN training sessions for Winter Weather are conducted from September through November. The basic training session provides a brief overview to the National Weather Service (the organization and our responsibilities), the equipment we use (including capabilities and limitations), and basic severe weather meteorology (including how thunderstorms, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes form). Training sessions last about two hours.
SKYWARN training sessions for Winter Weather are conducted from September through November.
Attendees are instructed what types of severe weather the National Weather Service is interested in hearing about and are given an 800 telephone number for 24 hour access make reports directly to the NWS forecasters.
For more information, please contact:
Mike Fries -- michael.j.fries@noaa.gov -- WFO Buffalo, Warning Coordination Meteorologist
Jon Hitchcock -- jon.hitchcock@noaa.gov -- WFO Buffalo, SKYWARN Program Coordinator
DATE | TIME | COUNTY | LOCATION | ORGANIZATION |
Wednesday 3/13/2024 |
7 PM | Ontario |
Ontario County Emergency Management Office 2914 County Route 48 Canandaigua, NY 14424 |
SIARC Amateur Radio Club and Ontario County Emergency Management
|
Saturday 4/6/2024 |
2 PM | Oswego |
SUNY Oswego Richard S Shineman Center Room 122 |
SUNY Oswego Meteorology Department |
Monday 4/15/2024 |
7 PM | Online |
Live Virtual Online Registration Required! |
National Weather Service Buffalo, NY |
Wednesday 4/17/2024 |
7 PM | Erie |
Town of Lancaster Emergency Management Office 525 Pavement Rd Lancaster, NY 14086 |
Lancaster Amateur Radio Club and Town of Lancaster Emergency Management |
Monday 4/22/2024 |
7 PM | Genesee |
Genesee County Emergency Management Office 7690 State Street Rd Batavia, NY |
Genesee County Office of Emergency Management |
Tuesday 4/23/2024 |
7 PM | Wyoming |
Arcade Fire Department 145 North St Arcade, NY 14009 |
Wyoming County Emergency Management |
Tuesday 4/30/2024 |
11 AM | Online |
Live Virtual Online Registration Required! |
National Weather Service Buffalo, NY |
Tuesday 4/30/2024 |
5 PM | Jefferson |
Roswell P Flower Memorial Library 229 Washington St Watertown, NY 13601 |
Roswell P Flower Memorial Library |
Wednesday 5/8/2024 |
7 PM | Online |
Live Virtual Online Registration Required! |
National Weather Service Buffalo, NY |
Thursday 5/9/2024 |
6 PM | Lewis |
Lowville Fire Department 5420 The Parkway Lowville, NY 13367 |
WWNY-TV and National Weather Service Buffalo, NY |
Wednesday 5/22/2024 |
7 PM | Chautauqua |
Carlson Community Center 50 West Lake Rd Mayville, NY 14757 |
CCAFMA Amateur Radio Club |
Other links Other SKYWARN™ Sites: NWS Binghamton SKYWARN™ Homepage |