Who We Are

We are volunteers, using our skills to support public safety.

Hancock County SKYWARN is an organization of Amateur Radio Operators who hold specialty training and skills to provide the National Weather Service (NWS) with ground-truth reports. During a severe weather event, trained spotters from the National Weather Service's SKYWARN program will provide observations back to NWS about what they are seeing, which helps NWS confirm what they are viewing on radar, satellite, and other monitoring means. Trained spotters follow a specific set of criteria on what they are to report, and receive training on how to report what they are seeing, measuring, feeling, etc.

Due to the nature of Amateur Radio being an independent and instantaneous means of communication, SKYWARN storm spotters who are licensed Amateur Radio operators use the systems available to them to relay information to the National Weather Service in the fastest means possible. In Northwest Ohio, we receive storms that can range from a severe thunderstorm, to a tornadically warned storm, long-duration wind events (Derechos), and even blizzard conditions in the winter. SKYWARN spotters, whether Amateur Radio operators or not, are trained in how to report these events as they unfold.

Hancock County, Ohio resides in a unique location in between the coverage edge of two weather radars, and readings are difficult to see at the edge of those coverage areas. As well as residing on the western edge of our weather office's coverage area, we play a vital role of providing ground truth reports back to the NWS, where they may otherwise have a difficult time confirming what they can see on radar.

In the interest of public safety, and the personal enjoyment of amateur meteorology, we have formed Hancock County SKYWARN as a way to allow trained spotters to give back to their community by participating in on-air nets during severe weather events, and relaying reports back to the National Weather Service.