Friday March 27, 2015

...PENNSYLVANIA SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK...

THIS IS SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK IN PENNSYLVANIA.

NOW IS THE TIME TO PREPARE FOR THE UPCOMING SEVERE WEATHER SEASON.

OUR FINAL SEVERE WEATHER AND WEATHER SAFETY TOPIC IS...
SKYWARN SEVERE WEATHER SPOTTERS.

EACH YEAR...A DEDICATED GROUP OF VOLUNTEER WEATHER SPOTTERS...KNOWN
AS SKYWARN...PROVIDE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICES ACROSS THE
COUNTRY WITH IMPORTANT...EYEWITNESS...INFORMATION ABOUT TORNADOES...
FLASH FLOODS AND DAMAGING THUNDERSTORMS.

SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE PEOPLE WITH AN INTEREST IN THE WEATHER...AND
AN INTEREST IN HELPING OTHERS.

WHILE DOPPLER WEATHER RADARS CAN HELP METEOROLOGISTS IDENTIFY
ROTATING THUNDERSTORMS...SKYWARN SPOTTERS CAN HELP TO PINPOINT
PLACES WHERE A TORNADO MAY FORM...EVEN BEFORE A TORNADO TOUCHES
GROUND. SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE ALSO ESSENTIAL TO CONFIRM THAT
TORNADOES HAVE TOUCHED DOWN...TO REPORT ON THE EXTENT OF
DAMAGE...AND TO PROVIDE ADDED DETAILS OF A THREAT TO A COMMUNITY.

A LARGE NUMBER OF SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE ALSO HAM RADIO OPERATORS.
AMATEUR RADIO EMERGENCY GROUPS AND AMATEUR RADIO CLUBS ARE CALLED
INTO ACTION WHENEVER TORNADO OR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCHES OR
WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH.  THESE SPOTTERS
COLLECT INFORMATION VIA HAM RADIO NETS...AND THEN RELAY THAT
INFORMATION TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE.

ALL THE STAFF OF YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WOULD LIKE TO THANK
OUR MANY FRIENDS IN THE SKYWARN PROGRAM...THANK YOU FOR YOUR GREAT
HELP. YOUR VOLUNTEER EFFORTS ARE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.

AGAIN...AS A PART OF EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS...THE PENNSYLVANIA
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY...COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGERS...AND THOSE
OF US AT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT THE
FINE HELP THAT HAM RADIO AND OTHER VOLUNTEER SKYWARN SPOTTERS
PROVIDE TO THE COMMONWEALTH.

BE PREPARED FOR THE DANGERS OF THIS SEVERE WEATHER SEASON...AND
CONSIDER BECOMING A SKYWARN SPOTTER.