Hancock Co. SKYWARN

Letter to our Spotters from the Director of Training - December 26, 2024

I hope that all of our spotters and team members have had a happy and enjoyable holiday season. With 2024 coming to a close, I would like to take this time to express my gratitude to the SKYWARN spotters, Net Control Stations, and Administration that make our organization such a success. Every activation we had in 2024 was met with a team of volunteers who were ready and able to deliver high quality reports that we could forward to the National Weather Service to help protect life and property. On numerous occasions, reports from our spotters helped the National Weather Service extend, renew, or increase coverage areas and estimated times on warning products, based on ground truth reports that we were able to provide. This invaluable service is provided free of charge by our SKYWARN volunteers, who are willing to donate their time and equipment during severe weather to help support public safety.

Although the 2024 severe weather season has ended, it is never too early to prepare for the 2025 season. This past March, we were issued our first Tornado Warning, which is considerably early in the season, but this was part of the now infamous March 14th Tornado Outbreak, which devastated our neighboring communities throughout Ohio. Hancock County was spared any significant damage, but this outbreak shows how early these systems can arrive, and that we must be ready to respond when a Severe Warning is issued. For the 2025 season, I would like to encourage our spotters to refresh their spotter training, by attending either the Basic SKYWARN training provided by the National Weather Service, or the Advanced training, if you would like to expand your knowledge. Both recorded training are available on the NWS Cleveland website, and an in-person Basic training is typically scheduled in Mid to Late Spring for Hancock County.

I also would like to encourage non-trained spotters to listen in on Hancock County SKYWARN nets when they are active, but please refrain from providing reports that do not meet the criteria requested by Net Control. Our goal is to keep an open line of communication between spotters and Net Control, so we may effectively pass reports in a timely manner. This is not meant to discourage anyone from participation, rather, for the safety of our fellow spotters, we would like to refrain from reports that do not meet SKYWARN criteria, as requested by NCS.

Lastly, I would like to strongly encourage the use of APRS during these events. Many of our spotters are mobile when these nets are activated, or choose to go mobile during an activation. Net Control Stations are being trained to utilize APRS to not only keep track of spotter locations, but also to add reports to the APRS map, to assist our volunteers. Amateur Operators in Hancock County are also currently testing a supplemental iGate for APRS, that will allow these objects added by Net Control to be sent over RF, as well as provide real-time reports from Weather Stations throughout our area. During an activation, if you have APRS capabilities, please enable them, notify Net Control that you are able to use APRS, and place your Mic-E status to "Special", if so equipped. For those without APRS capable equipment, there are several smartphone applications available to use, and I would strongly advise downloading one. These are able to not only provide your location, but will allow you to receive real-time alerts of posted objects, locations of fellow spotters, and APRS messaging, which allows direct communication with a spotter during non-critical situations.

In conclusion, I would like to reach out to new Amateur operators, or those who may not have participated before, and encourage you to listen in to an active SKYWARN net, take the training provided by the NWS, and be an active part of the Hancock County SKYWARN Team! The more volunteers we have available during an activation, the more reports we can pass to the National Weather Service, and provide for the protection of life and property in our area. If you have any questions, please reach out to one of our Hancock County SKYWARN representatives, and we would be more than happy to guide you in the right direction.

Respectfully Submitted,

Scott Sheets, N1OF

Director of Training, Assistant to the Coordinator, Hancock County SKYWARN

Who We Are

Hancock County SKYWARN is an Amateur Radio organization comprised of trained National Weather Service
storm spotters. Click below to read more.

How We Operate

To ensure safety amongst our spotters, net control stations, and the general public,
Hancock Co. SKYWARN conforms to strict operating policies and procedures.
Click below to read more.

Getting Involved

Anyone can be an National Weather Service SKYWARN spotter, licensed or not.
If you are a licensed Amateur Radio operator, we want you to participate with us!