Amateur and GMRS Radio is crucial for storm spotting. Providing a reliable communication method that functions even when cell towers and the internet are down enables trained spotters to send vital, real-time ground-truth reports on severe weather to the National Weather Service. This information is critical for supplementing radar data, allowing the NWS to issue more accurate and timely warnings about hazards like hail size, wind speed, and tornado rotation.
Trained spotters observe severe weather patterns, cloud formations, and damage reporting them immediately to the NWS to validate radar data and aid in warning decisions. Locally, reports are provided during Skywarn activation events managed by trained Net Control Operators through Winnebago County Skywarn.
To learn more about Skywarn and/or becoming a trained weather spotter, please Visit Winnebago County Skywarn
Winnebago County Skywarn is a program of the Rockford Amateur Radio Association