Volunteer To Measure Snow for the National Weather Service

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Cleveland is looking for new volunteers to measure snow in the Snow Observation Program. If you are already in the program, you do not need to re-apply.

We need new snow observers in all of the counties that NWS Cleveland serves. Below are maps that show where we currently have snow spotters. Each snowflake represents a snow spotter, and we are hoping to fill the gaps for the 2025-2026 winter season!

Map of Snow Spotters across Northern Ohio and Northwest Pennsylvania

Map of Snow Spotters across Northwest Pennsylvania

Map of Snow Spotters across Northeast Ohio

Map of Snow Spotters across Northwest Ohio

We could especially use more volunteer snow observers in the snow belt of Northeast Ohio and Northwest Pennsylvania, where more frequent snows occur due to lake effect. We will take observers anywhere in our forecast area, but specifically, we need observers in:

• Lake County, OH ***Especially the western third around Willowick, Wickliffe, and Willoughby!
• Geauga County, OH ***Especially the central and southeastern parts around Newbury, Middlefield, and Parkman!
• Ashtabula County, OH ***Especially in central and southwest parts near Rock Creek, Dorset, Rome, Windsor, and Orwell.
• Cuyahoga County, OH ***Especially in the far northern and northeastern parts from Downtown Cleveland to Euclid!
• Medina County, OH ***Especially in central and southwest parts near Spencer, Lodi, Chippewa Lake, and Chatham!
• Portage County, OH **Especially in central and southeast parts near Rootstown, Edinburg, Atwater, and Deerfield!
• Trumbull County, OH ***Especially in northwest and southeast parts near Mesopotamia, Bristolville, Vienna, and Hubbard!
• Mahoning County, OH ***Especially in the southern half near North Benton, Greenford, North Lima, and Petersburg!
• Erie and Crawford Counties, PA ***Always can use more!
• Northwest and North Central OH ***Especially in Hancock, Wood, Ottawa, Sandusky, Seneca, Wyandot, Crawford, Marion, Morrow, Erie, Huron, southern Lorain, Ashland, Wayne, Holmes, and Knox Counties!

These counties just have a spotter or two!

• Holmes County, OH
• Crawford County, OH
• Marion County, OH
• Morrow County, OH
• Knox County, OH

Wyandot County, OH does not have any spotters!

***Let's Fill the Gaps for the 2025-2026 Winter Season!!!***

The National Weather Service Snow Observation Program is a volunteer program. Snow observers measure the snow and report to the Cleveland NWS office each morning and evening when it snows. In your observation, you will report 12 hour snowfall and the total snow on the ground via an electronic reporting form. You will also record the information on a monthly log which you will email to the NWS office in Cleveland at the end of each month.

NWS Meteorologists at the Forecast Office use your data to assist in making forecasts and issuing snow warnings or advisories. Your monthly logs are used to document monthly and seasonal snowfall at your location and also for research purposes.

Your consistency is an important aspect of the program. Observers are expected to report twice a day, every day that it snows, for the entire winter season, or as often as possible. All you need is a ruler or yard stick to measure the snow.

To volunteer, please fill out this Google Form. We never share your information.

We will send a confirmation email back to you thanking you for your interest in the program and confirming that we received the form. We will then email you a unique snow spotter ID, as well as all of your documents and procedures within a few days. 

Thank you. Let it snow!