Kidron, Ohio

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

Each year a dedicated group of volunteer weather spotters... called
Skywarn... provide Weather Service offices across Pennsylvania 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.

By far the largest number of Skywarn spotters in our part of the
state are ham radio operators. Amateur radio emergency groups and
amateur radio clubs relay important information to emergency
management and the Weather Service by radio.

The Cleveland Ohio weather office operates a Skywarn ham radio
station whenever tornado watches or warnings are in effect across
northwest PA. Volunteers at the Cleveland office broadcast
radar information about the location of possible tornadoes and
solicit reports from Skywarn hams in the area of concern.

New Doppler weather radars can identify rotating thunderstorms...
sometimes... even before a tornado touches ground. Still... Skywarn
spotters are 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... thanks for your great help.

If you are interested in becoming involved with Skywarn... please
check out our web site at www.Erh.NOAA.Gov/cle/Skywarn/Skywarn.Html


if you are interested in ham radio... we can help you find a person
or radio club in your area that will assist you in getting your ham
radio license.

Again as a part of emergency preparedness... the Pennsylvania
emergency management agency... County emergency managers... and
those of US at the National Weather Service want you to know about
the fine help that ham radio and other volunteer Skywarn spotters
provide to the commonwealth.