It isn't necessary to be a Amateur Radio Operator to join Skywarn. Many Skywarn observers report via telephone networks to the National Weather Service. This site contains information that is useful to anyone interested in the weather. Skywarn Training classes, Severe Weather Criteria, local, national and global World Wide Web weather links and much more can be found here.
While at first glance, Skywarn Net Frequencies would seem to have no value to someone who isn't a ham, in fact they can be a very valuable source of local information during bad weather.
When severe weather threatens an area, the National Weather Service (NWS) issues a Warning for that area. NWS then contacts Hams in the Warned Area who have been designated Net Control Stations (NCS). The NCS then gets on the air on the frequency used for Skywarn operations and calls the Skywarn Net for that area into formal session.
Net members throughout the Warned Area send their weather observations to the Net Control Station and the NCS forwards that data to the NWS office that made the request for information. A Skywarn Net continues until dismissed by NWS. If you have a scanner that can be programmed to the frequencies between 144 and 148 megahertz you can listen to the Skywarn Net in your area and keep abreast of conditions. Most scanners are capable of monitoring this group of frequencies, which is usually referred to as the "2 Meter Band".
Being prepared for emergencies doesn't happen by accident!
The words "Skywarn Net" are reserved for formal Net operations requested by NWS, but most Skywarn Nets are called into informal session once a week as "Weather Nets" on the Skywarn frequency. Weather Nets are for training NCS operators and Net Members and for testing equipment. The NCS will take current weather observations from Net Members and discuss subjects such as specific information to gather for the current season, how to transmit data in a format useful to NWS, and the date and time of the next training class. It can be quite surprising to find just how much weather conditions can vary over even an area as relatively small as Connecticut.
When a Net frequency is not needed for formal or informal operations, you will hear men and women from all walks of life chatting back and forth about every topic under the sun. After listening to them for a while, you might decide that Amateur Radio is so much fun, and so useful, that you would like to join them.
We hope you enjoy the time you spend here, and perhaps pick up some new bits of weather information. Have Fun!
Page Last Updated, 05/08/09