The preferred mode for traffic into the net is via a liaison station from a local county net. (see below). Individuals are encouraged to “check-in” with their local emergency net instead of the SKYWARN net. It is critical that people in your county get the information as quickly as possible. This also makes the net more efficient, since the North Alabama and Southern Middle Tennessee SKYWARN net control operator is only having to communicate with around 10 liaisons when a request for specific info comes from the National Weather Service. The North Alabama-Southern Middle Tennessee SKYWARN Net will, however, recognize ANY station that has emergency or priority traffic.
To take part in this Net, one needs:
This net recognizes that each county is responsible for organizing it’s SKYWARN personnel and encourages each county to hold an ongoing net on their local frequency. It is preferable that stations “check-in” with a local net. It is recommended that these local nets be coordinated with the county EMA, and that provisions be made to have an operator at the EOC (Emergency Operations Center) to be a net liaison.
A list of the county net frequencies can be found by clicking here
NWS is especially interested in the following:
⚫ Funnel Cloud or Tornado – Report any sightings promptly.
⚫ Wall Cloud – Specify whether it has rotation or not.
⚫ Location – Provide a clear reference, such as a nearby town or major roads.
⚫ Event Time – Ensure the report includes the exact time of the event. Reports older than 15 minutes are often no longer useful during a severe weather event.
⚫ Avoid Secondhand Reports – Do not share information from news media or other sources (e.g., “Channel 83 reports” or “Scanner chatter indicates…”). Such reports can create confusion.
⚫ Wind Speeds – Always report speeds in miles per hour. Note that severe wind starts at 58 mph.
⚫ Hail – Describe hail size with familiar references such as coins (e.g., “dime,” “quarter”). Avoid ambiguous terms like “marble” or “pea-sized.” Hail smaller than a quarter inch typically does not need to be reported.
⚫ Flash Flooding – Report any instances of rapid water rise or flooding.
When reporting to the Net Control Operator, remember the following:
⚫ ALWAYS relay your report with reference to the nearest city or town. Example: “I am seeing a wall cloud in the Mooresville community 3 miles northeast of Decatur.” This helps National Weather Service (NWS) officials in Huntsville, especially those unfamiliar with the area, to understand the location of the hundreds of small communities and crossroads in North Alabama.
⚫ The purpose of the net is to RECEIVE severe weather reports from spotters in the field and to assist the NWS in verifying radar observations.
⚫ The net is not intended as a “one-stop weather source” for all weather information. While the net may relay conditions in a specific area for storm spotter safety, detailed weather information should be obtained from NOAA weather radio, TV, or broadcast radio.
⚫ Requests for detailed weather information for particular communities should not be made to net control, as they tie up the frequency and detract from the net’s primary purpose.
⚫ It is not the intent of this net to provide “up-to-the-minute forecasts” for individual communities.
