National Weather Service Office in Wichita, KS

Many thanks to Warning Meterologist Chance Hayes along with Ken Cook, Robb Lawson, Jim Caruso, Kevin Darmofal, Paul Howerton and Brad Ketcham and the many other long-term staff - the many years of service to central and southeastern Kansas.

Visit the Kansas ARRL Section News Extra

What is SKYWARN®?

NWS offices around the country utilize various spotter networks for severe and other inclement weather verification and reporting. The various spotter networks are comprised of emergency management officials, law enforcement, fire fighters, EMS personnel, and road crews. We also utilize the general public with training taking place during the late winter and early spring as NWS personnel travel to various counties to provide training. A final group of spotters utilized by our NWS office are amateur radio operators.

SKYWARN® (formed in the early 1970s) is the National Weather Service (NWS) program of volunteer severe weather spotters. SKYWARN® volunteers support their local community and government by providing the NWS with timely and accurate severe weather reports. These reports, when integrated with modern NWS technology, are used to inform communities of approaching severe weather. The focus of SKYWARN® (and of the NWS) is simple...to save lives and property.
Since the early 1990s, the WSR-88D (Doppler Weather Radar) has provided valuable information to forecasters...with better detection of severe storm phenomena and more accurate and timely warnings. However, even with the advance in technology..."ground truth" is still a very important part of the warning process. "Ground truth" is what is actually occurring. Is the storm tornadic? Is it producing large hail? How about damaging winds? Most of the "ground truth" is provided by trained storm spotters (through SKYWARN®)...or the "eyes of the NWS."

Who is Eligible?

SKYWARN® is an open volunteer organization. That means we accept reports from anyone in the public whether they have an amateur radio license or not. Whether they are out in their cars 1/8th of a mile from a tornado or in their homes in their favorite chair whether on their cell phone or on their ham radio.

There are a few essential requirements to becoming a SKYWARN® volunteer.

Basics of thunderstorm development
Fundamentals of storm structure
Identifying potential severe weather features
Information to report
How to report information
Basic severe weather safety
Follow posted and normal driving laws

To be a good SKYWARN® member - to be someone who:

Is safe and not in the way
Gives concise meaningful weather ground truth information
Refrains from giving unnecessary weather reports
Who has good equipment that functions
Who continues to improve their weather education
We are volunteers, not working for the NWS

is to make each report you give LISTENED and ACTED on. If the SKYWARN® volunteers and the NWS recognize you when you give reports... and know that you have given a valid report. The Net controls will not position anyone asking for guidance.

There is room for people who are new ... and experienced... in SKYWARN®!

How can I get involved?

Every year the National Weather Service in Wichita conducts spotter training sessions. Individuals as to look for and where to find them. What and how to report information and basic severe weather safety are also covered. The class is a multi-media presentation which includes detailed video. The class typically takes around 1 1/2 hours. More information on Storm Spotter clases will be posted on our Spotter Talks Page when they become available.
Feel free to sign up at spotternetwork.org and enter your reports in realtime.
To view online spotter guides click here.
For information on the weekly Amateur Radio net

Amateur Radio Operators

WXØICT is now on EchoLink when staffing allows! Newton 146.610 repeater is now on K-Link!
Ham radio operators are a vital link in the spotter and communication network used by the NWS during severe or otherwise inclement weather. Hams are duty bound by holding an FCC license to help without picuniary gains in many emergency responses. Not only do they report what they see with their own eyes, but they can report what others see, and also provide communications to other NWS offices should normal communication modes fail. New repeaters continue to be installed by dedicated and hard-working hams to expand their networks. We also continue to learn of and put into use these new systems as soon as possible.

If you notice errors or omissions, know of new repeaters that need to be added, need to change your spotter address or phone number, or just have a SKYWARN®/spotting question, drop the Skywarn Advisory Group a line so we can take care of your request ASAP. Note: This email address is not for sending severe weather reports, but instead is for administrative tasks.

Hunt for the Supertwisters

|Hulu - PBS| Nova: News and Information::Science and Technology

Click here to join SKYWARNICTNWSServedArea

Join SKYWARN® ICT NWS Served Area Group
Weather on the Web Online School for Weather

Amateur Radio Operators

Hunt for the Supertwisters |Hulu - PBS| Nova: News and Information::Science and Technology

Hunt for the Supertwisters

|Hulu - PBS| Nova: News and Information::Science and Technology