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Metro Skywarn FAQ

1) What is Skywarn?
2) What is Metro Skywarn, Inc.?
3) What is the mission of Metro Skywarn, Inc.?
4) What is the area served by Metro Skywarn, Inc.?
5) What organizations are represented at Metro Skywarn, Inc. Board meetings?
6) Is Metro Skywarn, Inc. a RACES organization?
7) How does Metro Skywarn, Inc. work?
8) What do Metro Skywarn, Inc. spotters do?
9) How do I get involved in Skywarn?
10) How big is Metro Skywarn, Inc.?
11) What is the status of Metro Skywarn, Inc. volunteers?
12) What does it cost to be a Metro Skywarn, Inc, volunteer?
13) What does Metro Skywarn, Inc. need?
14) What qualifications do you need to be a storm spotter?
15) How do I become a spotter?
16) Do I need an amateur radio license?
17) Does it cost anything to attend Skywarn training?
18) How are spotters made aware of the potential for severe weather?








FAQ Question #2: What is Metro Skywarn, Incorporated?

It is not a club to join nor is it a governmental agency. Metro Skywarn, Inc., is a Minnesota not-for-profit corporation. Skywarn in various forms has been around the Minneapolis/St. Paul Metro area for about 30 years. The National Weather Service (NWS) office in Chanhassen has the new state-of-the-art "NEXRAD" radar equipment. Although a great improvement over its old radar, it is still not sensitive enough to determine the existance of an actual tornado. It can only see where severe weather is likely to occur. The NWS relies on reports from the public, public safety personnel such as firemen, or law enforcement and trained Metro Skywarn spotters to verify actual severe weather.

FAQ Question #3: What is the mission of Metro Skywarn, Incorporated?

Metro Skywarn, Incorporated's mission is to provide an effective, efficient and coordinated system of observing and identifying severe weather phenomena, reporting such observations and relaying such reports to the National Weather Service. Today, it works with, through and for a wide variety of Amateur Radio Clubs and groups, Law Enforcement and public safety agencies, emergency management departments, and to the National Weather Service and other governmental organizations. See Metro Skywarn's Strategic Plan.

FAQ Question #4: What is the area served by Metro Skywarn, Inc.?

Metro Skywarn serves the entire 12 county metro area, including the following jurisdictions: In Minnesota, the counties of: Anoka, Scott, Carver, Sherburne, Dakota, Washington, Hennepin, Wright, and Ramsey. In Wisconsin, the counties of: Pierce, Polk, and Saint Croix.

FAQ Question #5: What organizations are represented at Metro Skywarn, Inc. Board meetings?

Organizations which send representatives include (but are not limited to) Bloomington Police Department, Ramsey County Department of Emergency Management, the National Weather Service, Bloomington RACES, Dakota County ARES/RACES, Carver County Radio Club, Anoka County Radio Club and Emergency Services, and Ramsey County ARES/RACES.

FAQ Question #6: Is Metro Skywarn, incorporated a RACES organization?

Metro Skywarn is a RACES (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service) organization. Metro Skywarn registered volunteer amateur radio operators trained in emergency communications and severe weather spotting are permitted to participate in Metro Skywarn Weather Nets. Our RACES Status is authorized and regulated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA provides essential communications and warning links for state and local governments and the Red Cross during emergencies.

FAQ Question #7: How does Metro Skywarn work?

To accomplish it's mission, Metro Skywarn, Incorporated provides the following: It recruits volunteer skywarn instructors and arranges training for the instructors from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Division of Emergency Management in cooperation with the National Weather Service. It recruits sponsoring organizations to host annual training sessions. It schedules instructors and other volunteers to cover the training sessions. It tests trainees completing the classes and certifies successful candidate as Metro Skywarn Spotters and assigns a Metro Skywarn Identification Number to each. It contracts with repeater owners for access to repeaters for Skywarn Nets. It coordinates with other organizations to provide Emergency Operating Centers, to serve as Net Control Stations and to provide Net Control Operators (EOC-OPS). It develops the net procedures, trains net personnel, and plans and coordinates with ARES/RACES organizations and repeater owners, and puts together several teams of operators prepared to run Skywarn nets on local Amateur Radio repeaters which rebroadcast signals to a wide area. It recruits volunteer operators (NWS-OPS) for the NWS. It provides training for EOC-OPS. Its Board of Directors and Committees meet on an on-going basis to assess operations, analyze data, diagnose problems, plan strategies, implement changes, and evaluate outcomes.

FAQ Question #8: What do Metro Skywarn, Inc. spotters do?

Metro Skywarn Spotters are capable of making accurate observations, identifications and reports of severe weather. The observers provide the reports to the NET/EOC-OPS. The report is forwarded from the EOC to the Weather Service via the NWS- OPS. This allows for accurate, and timely reports. The NWS uses confirmed severe weather reports along with radar and other available information to determine its actions to then notify local authorities who then can activate Civil Defense sirens, to activate the weather alarm facilities of the NWS, and to relay information to the news media and local broadcast radio and TV stations.

FAQ Question #9: How do I get involved in Skywarn?

Skywarn programs come in many different forms. Many are organized with Licensed Amateur Radio Operators as the spotter. Communications with the National Weather Service or local emergency managers occurs via amateur radio. Some involve public safety officials such as firemen, Citizen Band Operators or local volunteers with Law Enforcement handhelds.

Although most Skywarn spotter programs use some sort of radio based communications to get the severe storm information back to the right person, you don't have to be so equipped to participate. Having a radio or cellphone would be helpful, but you can spot from home too. Each locality has its own way of taking storm reports from the general public, often by dialing 911. Many programs allow the general public to attend the spotter training. The National Weather Service is very interested in getting as many people as possible trained to spot severe weather.

If you are a Amateur Radio Operator, contact your local spotter organization. They can also help if you are interested to get your Amateur Radio License so you can more fully participate in Skywarn. Or you can contact your nearest National Weather Service office. Training schedules are often posted on the local NWS Web page.

If your are from the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, attend one of the local spotter classes. In the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, the only way to participate in Skywarn is to become an Amateur Radio Operator. Several Clubs put on Amateur Radio classes in Minnesota to help you past the licensing exams. If you are in central or southwestern Minnesota, check out this schedule.

FAQ Question #10: How big is Metro Skywarn?

Nearly 700 spotters are trained each two year period to identify severe weather and to report observed weather to Skywarn Net Operators.

FAQ Question #11: What is the status of Metro Skywarn volunteers?

The observers/spotters, trainers, OPS, committee and board members and all others associated with and through Metro Skywarn, Incorporated are not employees or agents of Metro Skywarn, Incorporated. They are volunteers of either National Weather Service or of their local RACES sponsoring organization.

FAQ Question #12: What does it cost to be a Metro Skywarn volunteer?

The answer is both nothing and a lot. Nothing: There are no dues or fees at this time. Volunteers are free of course to make a free will contribution; donated funds are used to enhance our training and communication systems. Donations are accepted through local units of government. Individual desiring to make a gift to benefit Metro Skywarn are ask to contact the Board Chair. A lot: Each Amateur Radio licensed spotter spends hundreds of dollars for their equipment. Most spend about dozens if not hundreds of hours of volunteer time each year as severe weather spotters. Others spend even more time to help maintain the system and the program. Additional expenses and time are spent in training and travel.

FAQ Question #13: What does Metro Skywarn, Inc. need?

More volunteers are needed. They are needed not only as spotters, but also as as trainers, as technicians, as OPS, as committee members, as fund raisers, etc. If interested, individuals or groups should send a message to the board with a name and phone number and one of us will be in contact.

NOTE: To be a spotter, a trainer, or an operator, one must be interested in weather, willing to protect and serve your community, be a graduate of a Metro Skywarn approved weather spotter class, and capable of reasonably doing the duties. Being an Amateur Radio operator licensed by the Federal Communications Commission is not required but is extremely helpful.

FAQ Question #14: What qualifications do you need to be a storm spotter?

There are no requirements other than the successful completion of the training course and passing a short quiz once every two years. Spotters should have an interest in the weather. An amateur radio license is extremely helpful, but not required.

FAQ Question #15: How do I become a spotter?

Attend any of the training courses offered each spring throughout the Twin Cities Metro Area. For a complete list of training courses, visit the Schedule Page. People who wish to become Skywarn spotters have to become part of a spotting network. This could be a police reserve organization, volunteer fire department, county or city emergency management (Civil Defense) volunteers, Sky Watcher and Amateur Radio groups (such as Metro Skywarn).

FAQ Question #16: Do I need an amateur radio license?

Technically, no. But as a practical matter, there are only so many phone calls the National Weather Service can handle during a severe weather event. The non-ham Skywatcher Program is loaded with volunteers and not looking for new ones at this time. Scott, Ramsey and Isanti County have a non-ham Public Service Band Radio spotter service operating. They provided training and access to radios for volunteers. Contact your County Emergency Manager for more information on joining. An Amateur Radio Service license issued by the FCC allows spotters to communicate via radio during severe weather. Listen to the excitement of a Skywarn net in action. Audio clips of the day's Skywarn nets and interviews with spotters. Check out the ARRL's website to learn about how to become a Ham.

FAQ Question #17: Does it cost anything to attend Skywarn training?

Generally, classes are free to the public. Occasionally a class charges a nominal fee to pay for the space it is renting to hold the class. Donations are requested to help defer the costs of training and for printing the newsletter, which is published three times per year.

FAQ Question #18: How are spotters made aware of the potential for severe weather?

Most spotters stay alert and listen to weather forecasts either through the Internet, TV, radio, or NOAA Weather Radio. When severe weather is imminent, spotters with pagers are alerted directly.

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