Where severe storms are possible, storm spotting groups such as SKYWARN in the United States coordinate amateur radio operators to keep track of severe thunderstorms and tornados. Reports from spotters  are given to the National Weather Service (NWS) so that they have the information to warn the general public. Spotters also give reports during winter stoms, floods, hurricanes and wildfires.

SKYWARN has long been associated with amateur radio. Many NWS offices maintain an amateur radio station that is manned by amateur radio operators during times of severe weather. This allows licensed amateur radio spotters to transmit their severe weather reports directly to the NWS and receive up-to-date severe weather updates even if regular communications are disrupted or overloaded by the weather emergency.

In our area Skywarn is coordinated through the National Capital Skywarn group (NCSG).  They offer serval support document on their webpage.   Our net controls will be trained by their trainer and will report either thourgh the net on the 147.300 (+) repeater (if needed a pl of 146.2 is also used ) or thruugh the NWS Sterling 800 telephone number.

The NCSG has approved the 147.060(+ (pl 123) as a subnet.  Since some of our members do not have pl capibilities and since neither of these repeates cover our reigon fully it was felt that it would be to Sterlings advantage if we ran a net.

Once we have trained Net Control opeators we will provide them the codes and scripsts that our net will use.  Our scripts follow the scripts of the NCSG, but will have a slight difference.

We will always enourage all of our operators to monitor the local All Hazzard Station 162.475.

What is the data that is sought. From the Basic Spotters Guide, page 1 the answer is: