As a National Weather Service SKYWARN storm spotter, I like to keep a close eye on the weather, especially when severe weather is in the forecast. Each morning, this page is my first look at the weather. The purpose of this page is to answer these questions:
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Is today a severe weather day?
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If so, what, where and when?
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Is severe weather within the three to five day forecast?
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Does the National Weather Service anticipate that storm spotters and emergency management personnel may or will be activated? Note: The "Spotter Call to Action Statement" in the Hazardous Weather Outlook is of particular importance.
If the answer to any of these questions is "yes," I then turn to the Graphical Weather Forecast web page and the Daily Weather Charts web page. These pages allow me to become aware of potentially strong or severe storms that will be moving into this area in the next few days, and to immediately begin preparing for the effects of these storms, so that on the day of the storm I can devote primary attention to the job of providing "ground truth" to the NWS. I am a licensed Amateur Radio operator, AF4AX (Extra Class), and a member of ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service), a group of radio amateurs who have voluntarily registered their qualifications and equipment, with their local ARES leadership, for communications duty in the public service when disaster strikes.
Photo Right: The first tornado captured by
National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) doppler radar and NSSL chase personnel,
May 24, 1973.
The tornado has reached the mature stage of formation
