Skywarn® Recognition Day Date in the current year: December 7, 2024

Storm spotters are people who observe the approach, development, and progression of severe weather and actively report their observations to local authorities. The practice of storm spotting developed in the United States in the early 1940s after a series of tornado outbreaks. Since timely delivery of information was critical, amateur radio provided the fastest means of communication between spotters and authorities, especially when telephone lines were damaged by an approaching storm.

Storm spotters can report events such as funnel clouds, rotating wall clouds, structures struck by lightning, very heavy rainfall, significant hail, extremely strong winds, etc. Reporting thresholds for severe weather events usually vary by region. Some spotters also participate in damage assessment after a natural disaster. Spotters typically use ham radio to communicate with each other and provide weather reports, as local communication systems can be significantly disrupted by severe weather and become unreliable in situations where every second counts.

In 1965, the National Weather Service established Skywarn®, a volunteer program for trained severe weather spotters. Skywarn® volunteers help keep their communities safe by observing and reporting severe weather to the National Weather Service and relevant local authorities. The information provided by spotters helps the NWS provide more accurate and timely warnings for severe weather such as thunderstorms, tornadoes, and flash floods. Local public safety organizations and emergency managers also use these reports in their operations.

Skywarn® has between 350,000 and 400,000 trained volunteers who receive regular training from NWS staff. In many areas with frequent severe weather, Skywarn® spotter classes are held each spring to prepare for the upcoming severe weather season. Anyone can become a spotter, but fire and police personnel, EMS workers, dispatchers, public utility workers, and individuals affiliated with churches, schools, hospitals and nursing homes are encouraged to become spotters to better help others.

Skywarn® Recognition Day was established in 1999 by the National Weather Service and the American Radio Relay League (ARRL). It is designed to highlight the importance of amateur radio during severe weather and recognize the contributions of volunteers who assist the NWS during thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, winter storms and wildfires. You can join the celebration by giving a shout-out to Skywarn® volunteers on social media using the hashtag #SkywarnRecognitionDay, or even joining the program by signing up for a Skywarn® class in your area or completing an online spotter program.

By the way, there are similar programs in other countries and regions (Skywarn Europe with branches in several European countries, Canwarn in Canada, TORRO in the UK), so you can become a volunteer spotter even if you don’t live in the United States.

Skywarn® and the Skywarn® logo are registered trademarks of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.