TRAINING For SKYWARN NET PARTICIPANTS

By R. Bruce Winchell - N8UT

Copyright 1997

Authorized for Non-Profit Reproduction with Copyright Reference

Adapted by Leo Kusuda, KG4PWC

For SOUTH HAMPTON ROADS SKYWARN

2003

INTRODUCTION

SKYWARN is not affiliated with any club. It is an organization that supports the local National Weather Service. NWS Wakefield Office covers our region. A brief outline of the NWS Wakefield organization is listed at the end. The purpose of SKYWARN is to report all "Severe Weather Events" as defined by the National Weather Service Wakefield and listed below. Each regional SKYWARN organization and NWS office tailors the training to target severe weather that often occurs in that location. Fortunately, we live in an area where strong hurricanes, tornadoes and severe winter weather are infrequent. We are also blessed with several commercial Doppler radar weather stations associated with local TV stations. This does not diminish the importance of SKYWARN. The local SKYWARN organization, like many volunteer organizations, changes with participants. Currently the SKYWARN for South Hampton Roads as it applies to Amateur Radio centers around the W4CAR 146.820 repeater. This repeater is sponsored by the City of Chesapeake and is located on the Chesapeake Center for Science and Technology. All Hampton Road Cities relies on emergent severe weather reporting from NWS Wakefield. Therefore all cities benefit from SKYWARN activity. SKYWARN training falls into two broad categories.
  1. Communication of severe weather events in a timely manner. This includes proper identification of severe weather and the efficient routing of truly dangerous situations to NWS Wakefield. It is the communication part, which involves Amateur Radio. NWS Wakefield has recognized the 146.820 repeater as a sub-net for NWS Wakefield SKYWARN.
  2. Safety for spotters. Severe weather observation can expose participants to risk. In the event of evacuation, please evacuate. If you must be in the vicinity of severe weather, training should make you aware of the inherent dangers.
Although SKYWARN is not part of the Chesapeake Amateur Radio Service (CARS) or the City of Chesapeake, the City of Chesapeake has specifically asked CARS to support all local SKYWARN activities. CARS actively maintains a website that has a section on SKYWARN. For additional information about local SKYWARN activities please visit www.qsl.net/cars.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE

Weather nets are primarily concerned with what we are observing RIGHT NOW. Always remember that your first priority for reporting events is to furnish information used to warn people so that they may seek safety and avoid injury or death. The second priority is to safeguard property from as much damage as possible. Property can be replaced . . . Life cannot. Urgent priority severe weather is defined exclusively as: Those three conditions should be reported immediately. If you spot one of the three, NCS may request that you report this directly by phone. If you are a current registered spotter, you should have this number available. NWS requests that their phone number not be made available to the general public. Therefore we ask that you refrain from giving the phone number over the frequency unless absolutely necessary. If you don't know the number or do not have access to a phone, the NCS will request someone else to call. All other severe weather can be reported every 30 minutes during general request for reports. The large area serviced by NWS Wakefield, it is more efficient if severe weather other than what is listed above be compiled and sent to NWS Wakefield as an e-mail or FAX report. The responsibility of relaying the information to NWS is that of the NCS. However, as a registered storm spotter, you may directly report severe weather to NWS Wakefield at any time.

BAD NET: The unfortunate truth . . . what it often is.

A weather net that is manned by untrained observers and inexperienced Net Control Station is very easy to identify. There is endless chatter about rainfall, thunder and lightning, and mobile units are going every which-way. The Net Control Station has given poor (if any) instructions, has very little control of anything, is often ignored, and is constantly plagued with repeated requests for direct contacts between participating operators; resulting in meaningless personal chatter. The majority of net communications have absolutely nothing to do with severe weather. If it applies, this is an unfortunate, unnecessary, and dangerous situation. It is a negative reflection on the Amateur Radio Service and your local organization..

GOOD NET: The ideal.

A weather net manned by well trained observers and Net Control Station operators, is quiet by comparison. The NCS is in total control. Instructions have been clear, concise, repeated often and are carefully observed by the spotters. Spotter reports are related only to true severe weather conditions. There is no talk of rain, lightning or thunder. There is no idle chatter. The Spotters are working from stationary, pre-assigned observation points. Mobile units are at a minimum and only move at the request of the NCS. It's professional, it's efficient, it's valuable, it has a positive impact, and it's safe for everyone.

PROVIDING A REPORT (Not published on the website)
Phone and FAX numbers and e-mail address are not provided on the website. Check with either the area coordinator or local clubs for Spotter Training. You will be issued a Spotter ID # and the access information upon completion of the course.

WHAT TO DO (AND NOT DO) ON THE RADIO

Rule #1. The Net Control Station is in complete charge of a directed net. Do not engage in any transmission without permission from the NCS.

Rule #2. LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN AND LISTEN constantly and especially before transmitting.

Rule #3. Net Control will give net check-in instructions and observation requests at the beginning of a net and repeat them as often as possible. Stations should check into the net as instructed and Report only those things that Net Control has requested. Please pay attention to these requests, as they may change during the course of the net operation.

Rule #4. Once you have checked in to any net, do not leave that frequency without notifying the Net Control Station (NCS).

Rule #5. If you are given an assignment to be in a particular place, go there and stay there. Do not move from your position or your transmitter without notifying the NCS; unless you are in immediate danger.

Rule #6. If it is imperative that you must communicate directly with another operating station on the net, ask for permission from the NCS. Ragchewing, little side comments and personal transmissions are not to be made during a directed net.

Rule #7. DO NOT check-in in the middle of fast moving net activity, unless of course, you have a true emergency.

Rule #8. If, with weather net in progress, an event (like a tornado touchdown) takes place, a net control operator may announce that there is a RESOURCE, TACTICAL or STANDBY NET on another frequency or repeater. Stay on your Skywarn assignment until the Skywarn NCS tells you otherwise. These new nets are "holding areas" where people are sent to await assignments. The resource net will have it's own NCS. If there is a Resource Net in operation, any New Stations checking in should do so on the Resource net.

Rule #9. DO NOT ask for NWS weather reports. Listen to the weather frequencies.

Rule #10. Please have your spotter number available if the NCS requests it. Spotter #'s must be updated every 3 years.

FIELD SPOTTING GUIDE

WHAT TO REPORT: ALL reports must contain T.E.L. information.(Time, Effect, Location) or in other words What, When and Where.

TORNADO ON THE GROUND - A lot of associated debris will be present in the formation. Definite and concentrated rotation is present. T.E.L.

FUNNEL CLOUD - Virtually no debris, if any at all. Formation will usually be sucking in and/or giving off smaller rotating clouds. Note: A funnel cloud is not a tornado . . . it's not on the ground. T.E.L.

WATERSPOUT - Moving towards land or moving away from land. T.E.L.

WINDS 50 MPH OR HIGHER - RELATED REPORTABLE OBSERVATIONS: The NCS may request that only damage that is witnessed be reported or may ask if observations of damage of unknown age be reported.

HAIL - Hail Pea size or larger should be reported.

SIZES: RAIN - 1 inch or more/hour or 3 inches or more/24 hours.

FLOODING - Ditches, streets, streams & rivers. ALSO, coastal flooding from high tides.

SNOW - Depth of 2" or more, or falling at a rate of 1" per hour or more.

ICE - Any ice accumulation on roads, trees, etc.

SEVERE WEATHER THAT IS NOT REPORTED TO NWS WAKEFIELD

WALL CLOUDS - Make sure it's not a rain column!! A rain column will extend all the way to the ground; a wall cloud won't. Make sure it isn't a Shelf Cloud. A Shelf Cloud will usually have a "tail" that is fairly level and pointing in the same direction the storm is moving. A Wall cloud "tail" (if one is present) will be trailing the direction of the storm and often points downward. Wall Clouds can and do rotate. Shelf Clouds do not.

ROTATION - Localized small rotations of short duration are common and not reportable. Rotation of a major nature and/or formation is to be reported if it is sustained and can be confirmed. If you are not sure of rotation, report exact location of the suspected formation so that others may observe and confirm. This is nearly always necessary and most important after dark and during heavy rainfall, when your vision is restricted.

DRASTIC SUSTAINED WIND SPEED CHANGES - especially if rotation is present in cloud structures.

NEVER REPORT TO NWS WAKEFIELD

RAIN (LESS than 1" per hour) - Doesn't Matter!!

THUNDER - Doesn't Matter!!

LIGHTNING - Doesn't Matter!!


FIELD SAFETY

STAY PUT!! Do not "chase" any storm if you have not been specially trained and assigned to do so. SKYWARN training does not qualify anyone as a chaser. Most spotting should be done from a Spotter's home or very close to it. Stationary observers with an open and clear view are preferred. It is very important that the NCS knows exactly where his observers are located. Chasing can be extremely dangerous for even highly trained observers and deadly for the untrained. Cars are pretty safe places to be in the presence of lightning and very unsafe places to be in a tornado. When spotting outdoors, always have a safe place picked out to protect yourself from large hail and high winds. Don't wait for the wind to get so strong that you can't get to cover! Don't drive across fast moving water. Six inches of fast moving water can take control of, and move, a small car. Large hail can KILL! Take cover!!

GENERAL WEATHER STUFF TO REMEMBER

Strong thunderstorms always have anvil shaped tops to the clouds. The more pronounced the "overshoot" above the anvil, the stronger the storm. The more vertical the "stem" of the storm cloud, the stronger the storm. Storms are frequently preceded by a "Gust Front". The strongest winds associated with a storm are often the first ones that reach you. If there is a rain free base beneath a bank of clouds, this is where updraft air currents will occur. Watch along the rain free base for formation of wall clouds. A wall cloud will form 15-to 20 minutes before a tornado forms. Wall clouds do not, however, always spawn tornadoes. Usually a wall cloud /tornado formation will occur at the trailing, or "back" edge of the thunderstorm. Large hail falls just ahead of a tornado in many cases; but not always. This is more common in the case of a large tornado. The presence of hail is a warning sign that things could get serious in a hurry. Radar cannot truly see a Wall Cloud or a Tornado!! ONLY a Spotter can actually verify the presence of a Wall Cloud or Tornado. A Tornado may or may not have a clearly defined funnel cloud. Tornadoes usually move in a Southwest - to - Northeast path. The best place to look for a tornado is in the South-to-West quadrant of the horizon. Most tornadoes move across land at about 25 to 35 miles per hour; but they can move at twice that speed!

LIGHTENING SAFETY

NWS Lightning Safety

During the past 30 years, lightning killed an average of 73 people per year in the United States based on documented cases. This is more than the average of 68 deaths per year caused by tornadoes and the average of 16 deaths per year caused by hurricanes.

PERSONAL LIGHTNING SAFETY TIPS

(Prepared by the National Lightning Safety Institute, Louisville,CO.)

  1. PLAN in advance your evacuation and safety measures. When you first see lightning or hear thunder, activate your emergency plan. Now is the time to go to a building or a vehicle. Lightning often precedes rain, so don't wait for the rain to begin before suspending activities.
  2. IF OUTDOORS... Avoid water. Avoid the high ground. Avoid open spaces. Avoid all metal objects including electric wires, fences, machinery, motors, power tools, etc. Unsafe places include underneath canopies, small picnic or rain shelters, or near trees. Where possible, find shelter in a substantial building or in a fully enclosed metal vehicle such as a car, truck or a van with the windows completely shut. If lightning is striking nearby when you are outside, you should:
  3. IF INDOORS... Avoid water. Stay away from doors and windows. Do not use the telephone. Take off head sets. Turn off, unplug, and stay away from appliances, computers, power tools, & TV sets. Lightning may strike exterior electric and phone lines, inducing shocks to inside equipment.
  4. SUSPEND ACTIVITIES for 30 minutes after the last observed lightning or thunder.
  5. INJURED PERSONS do not carry an electrical charge and can be handled safely. Apply First Aid procedures to a lightning victim if you are qualified to do so. Call 911 or send for help immediately.

"If you can see it - flee it; if you can hear it - clear it."



HOW TO ESTIMATE WIND SPEED

BEAUFORT CHART

MPH OBSERVATIONS
0 Smoke will rise vertically
1-3 Smoke will show slight direction but there is not enough wind to move a wind vane
4-7 You will feel a breeze on your face, smoke has definite direction, leaves move a bit & a wind vane will move
8-12 Leaves will be in constant motion, small twig branches move, flags extend.
13-18 Dust puffs blow, loose paper flies, 1/2 to 1 inch branches move.
19-24 Small leafy trees sway and small waves will form on ponds & lakes, flags whip.
25-31 4 inch & larger branches moving, telephone, power wires & chain link fences whistle.
32-38 Large, whole trees in motion, becomes hard to walk totally upright against the wind. Shingles begin to lift.
39-46 Green twigs begin to break off. You have to lean into the wind to walk. Shingles flap violently.
47-54 3 inch or larger green branches break. Chimneys & shingles begin to tear off. TV antenna masts bend & antennas are destroyed.
55-63 Trees begin to uproot. Structural damage starts getting serious. Large sections of roofs and roofing tear off and fly. Patio roofs and awnings destroyed. Some Mobile homes begin to suffer damage. Walking nearly impossible.
64-72 Structural damage widespread and major. Mobile homes skins peel. Entire roofs blow off and windows blow in. Mobile homes displaced. Cement block parapets begin to collapse.

NWS Wakefield SKYWARN Organization

Program Manager and Warning Coordination Meteorologist: Bill Sammler
SKYWARN Manager- Joe Wagner, K04RK
NWS Wakefield station Call - KAKQ
NWS Wakefield Amateur Station Call - WX4AKQ
Repeater frequencies:
NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies in MHz:
162.550
162.400
162.475
162.450