“It is a Tuesday night in early February. The National Weather Service has issued a statement that there is a probability of severe weather coming into the area late that night. They have been tracking a squall line several hundred miles to the west. The storm has been producing strong winds and severe thunderstorms. Reports indicate that it has also produced hail and isolated tornadoes. A hazardous weather outlook is issued and reads “SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED”. Long before the storm arrives local Amateur Radio operators are making preparations.”

SKYWARN®, a program of the National Weather Service, includes thousands of volunteer storm spotters who serve as a first line of defense against severe weather. Amateur Radio operators bring to storm spotting great resources; an established communications system that can function in an emergency, a pool of volunteers willing to be trained, a history of public service, and technologies that no other group has.

Storm Spotting and Amateur Radio is a resource for the Amateur Radio operator who volunteers as a trained storm spotter. This book includes information on resources, training, equipment, safety, storm spotter activation procedures, reportable weather criteria, developing a local storm spotter manual, and the experiences of storm spotters from around the country. It also provides some meteorological information about severe weather such as hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, floods, damaging wind, and winter weather.

A comprehensive index is included with weather-related web sites and a state-by-state listing of SKYWARN® web sites.