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SKYWARN
Learn to spot severe weather - Free - No obligations!
In most years, thunderstorms, tornadoes and lightning cause hundreds of injuries and deaths and billions in property and crop damages. To obtain critical weather information, the National Weather Service (NWS) established SKYWARN® with partner organizations. SKYWARN® is a volunteer program with between 350,000 and 400,000 trained severe weather spotters. These volunteers help keep their local communities safe by providing timely and accurate reports of severe weather to the National Weather Service.
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Are you a licensed amateur radio operator? Report severe weather over the air!
Amateur radio operators who are trained weather spotters often send in their reports via radio. St. Louis Metro Skywarn is a team of amateur radio operators managed by the St. Louis County Police Department Office of Emergency Management. This team activates a radio net when the National Weather Service indicates that there is severe weather in the area. It takes reports from trained weather spotters in St. Louis City and County, Missouri and then forwards these reports to the National Weather Service and the Office of Emergency Management.
Amateur Radio reports are made by county.
Weather spotters within St. Louis City and County who are amateur radio operators are urged to call WB0AAF on the 147.360 MHz (+)(141.3 Hz) repeater during severe weather to give their reports. (146.910 (-)(141.3 Hz) is the backup repeater should 147.360 be down.)
By doing so you will insure that the information reaches both the NWS and the Office of Emergency Management. As the National Weather Service wishes to receive reports by county, this program is specific to St. Louis City and County. Other counties in the vicinity maintain their own Skywarn groups.
Information on weather conditions is made available through other media.
The Amateur Radio service is limited to receiving spotter reports. Other media, such as NOAA weather radio (162.550 MHz), television, and broadcast radio provide the current weather conditions.
Not an amateur radio operator? You can still make reports!
