6.NWS Gray Activating SKYWARN

6. Activating SKYWARN

1. Activation Criteria
   

   1. Daytime Activation Criteria

   2. Nighttime Activation Criteria

   3. Use of Local Discretion for Activation

   4. SKYWARN Radio Desk Activation Criteria

   5. Handling Nets-In-Progress at End of Day

2. Activation Forecasting
   

   1. Amateur Radio Coordinator Role in Forecasting

   2. Coordination with NWS Employees

   3. SKYWARN Risk Assessments

3. Activation Procedures
   

   1. Area Manager Role in Activations

   2. Team Activation Notifications

   3. Notification of Partners

   4. NWS Notification

   5. Deactivation

6. Activating SKYWARN

6.1. Activation Criteria

The team is “on standby” 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and should be able to provide emergency communications services and collection of spotter reports any time of the day or night.

To better utilize its human resources the team has implemented activation criteria which specify the circumstances under which routine report collection services will be provided to the NWS.

In general, amateur radio support services will be provided between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. local time, according to the Daytime Activation Criteria. Nighttime Activation Criteria applies to operation outside these hours, and there is also a separate SKYWARN Radio Desk Activation Criteria.

6.1.1. Daytime Activation Criteria

The team will make itself available to the NWS upon request under any weather conditions and will self-activate between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. local time under any one or more of the following conditions:

1. Severe Thunderstorm Watch or Tornado Watch Issued, plus one or more of the following on the SPC Day 1 Convective Outlook:
   

   1. Damaging Wind Risk at or above 15%.

   2. Severe Hail Risk at or above 15%.

   3. Tornado Risk at or above 2%.

2. Winter Storm/Blizzard/Ice Storm Warning issued.

3. Flood Watch for Flash Flooding (make sure to look at valid times of Watch as the lead time on issuance of these can be a day in advance unlike Severe/Tornado Watches which are usually only 3 to 6 hours)

4. Hurricane Warning issued.

5. Tropical Storm Warning issued.

6. Upon request from the National Weather Service via Hazardous Weather Outlook (HWO) and/or email notification.

When any of these conditions are met, SKYWARN nets will prepare to activate and will go on the air once severe or potentially severe weather is impacting or about to impact the area, provided such weather conditions are occurring between the hours of 6 AM and 10 PM local time. The team will activate anytime there is a formal request from the NWS.

The team may be placed in a “standby” status when there is a threat of severe weather but the criteria provided here are not met.

Generally, if the wind, hail, and/or tornado risks levels are met on the Day 1 Convective Outlook, this should place the team in a standby status, with the issuance of a Watch, or the presence of locally severe weather conditions, serving as the trigger for net activation.

6.1.2. Nighttime Activation Criteria

Overnight activations of SKYWARN nets, between 10 PM and 6 AM local time, may occur under the following conditions:

1. Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) Tornado Watch issued.

2. Hurricane Warning issued.

3. Tropical Storm Warning issued.

4. Upon request from the National Weather Service

It bears repeating that any formal request from the NWS for overnight support overrides any specific weather criteria stated here.

6.1.3. Use of Local Discretion for Activation

Often there are weather situations which warrant activation of a SKYWARN net but fall below the mandatory activation criteria listed in the previous two sections. All currently certified SKYWARN Net Control Operators and Leadership Team members have the authority to start a net at any time. Leadership Team members are encouraged to monitor weather situations closely and evaluate the likelihood of localized severe weather events which may justify calling a net.

Net Control Operators do not need to obtain permission from the Leadership Team to start a net, however, they are encouraged to consult with their Net Manager, Area Manager, or Amateur Radio Coordinator prior to going on the air when time permits.

For urgent situations, such as a tornado warning, available Net Controls should get a net on the air as quickly as possible. Notification of the Leadership Team is not done to request permission to start a net.

Rather, it allows the Leadership Team to locate backup Net Control resources and perform other activities in support of the net, including the generation of activation notifications for other team members, Spotters, and EMCOMM partners.

6.1.4. SKYWARN Radio Desk Activation Criteria

In many high-impact weather events such as tornado outbreaks and tropical weather systems it is important that we have a qualified Responder at the SKYWARN Radio Desk. Typically the SKYWARN Radio Desk is activated for large-scale or outbreak type weather events that have the potential to produce widespread damage or that will impact a large portion of the CWA, and at the request of either the NWS or Amateur Radio Coordinator. The Responder’s ability to travel safely to and from the WFO is always taken into consideration.

History has shown that the amount of radio traffic drops off sharply overnight except in the worst of weather conditions and attempting to keep SKYWARN on the air overnight is usually counterproductive. It may become necessary, however, during very severe or dangerous weather events.

6.1.5. Handling Nets-In-Progress at End of Day

Any SKYWARN Net which is on the air at the end of the day (that is, the point at which the Nighttime Activation Criteria are set to take effect) is not automatically suspended. Provided there are stations checked in, the net should continue until such time that it is reasonable to shut it down, or until the Net Control Operator's personal availability or stamina requires a net be closed. Ultimately it us up to the Area Manager to determine the most appropriate time to shut down a late evening net unless a request for longer operation has been received from the NWS.

6.2. Activation Forecasting

6.2.1. Amateur Radio Coordinator Role in Forecasting

The Amateur Radio Coordinator is responsible for monitoring all available products from the NWS to determine the general need for SKYWARN activation and amateur radio support over the next 24 to 36 hours. Some recommended products are:

1. SPC Day 1 and Day 2 Convective Outlooks (SWO).

2. HPC Day 1 and Day 2 QPF Excessive Rainfall Discussion (QPFERD).

3. HPC winter precipitation products.

4. NHC tropical products.

5. WFO GYX Area Forecast Discussion (AFD).

6. WFO GYX Hazardous Weather Outlook (HWO).

7. Direct guidance from NWS employees.

In the short term (4-12 hours) the HWO and discussion with NWS forecasters are some of the best tools for determining the local need for SKYWARN support, in addition to these products:

1. SPC Mesoscale Discussions (MCD).

2. Severe Thunderstorm Watches.

3. Tornado Watches.

4. WFO GYX Hazardous Weather Outlook (HWO).

5. Local Storm Reports (LSR) from WFO's and SPC.

6. Direct guidance from NWS employees.

Based on this guidance and the Activation Criteria specified on page 21, the Amateur Radio Coordinator should determine the potential needs for SKYWARN net activation and communicate this with the leadership team.

6.2.2. Coordination with NWS Employees

A decision to activate local nets will generally be an easy one when using the criteria and resources outlined above. Usually there will be no need to contact NWS employees for guidance on whether to activate local nets, and there is no need to notify the WFO of local net activations.

NWS employees should be consulted on the activation of the SKYWARN Radio Desk. For the majority of severe weather events there will be no substantial benefit to activating the SKYWARN Radio Desk. However, for large-scale or outbreak type weather events that have the potential to produce widespread damage or that will impact a large portion of the CWA simultaneously, activation of the SKYWARN Radio Desk is a possibility.

A phone call to the WFO several hours before the expected onset of severe weather will allow for discussion of the threat and will help make a decision to activate the SKYWARN Radio Desk. If either the Amateur Radio Coordinator or NWS employees determine the activation of the Radio Desk would be beneficial, the Amateur Radio Coordinator will use the Responder roster to develop a list of volunteers to staff the Radio Desk and should provide a list of names to the NWS employees as soon as possible.

6.2.3. SKYWARN Risk Assessments

The SKYWARN Risk Assessment (RA) is an internal bulletin produced by the Amateur Radio Coordinator or his designee which provides:

1. A headline with a brief description of the expected severe weather threat.

2. A one-or-two paragraph introduction to the severe weather threat.

3. The expected onset of severe weather.

4. The Operating Areas expected to be impacted by the event.

5. The expected duration of the event.

6. A Spotter Activation Outlook.

7. A Communications Team Action Message outlining the need for activation of local nets and/or the SKYWARN Radio Desk.

The RA should be distributed as early as possible and at least once every four to six hours while a severe weather threat exists.

Area Managers should use the information in the RA to assemble a team of Net Control Operators to staff the local SKYWARN net, while the Amateur Radio Coordinator prepares to staff the SKYWARN Radio Desk if necessary.

6.3. Activation Procedures

6.3.1. Area Manager Role in Activations

Area Managers are responsible for using the Risk Assessment and various NWS products as guidance in developing a schedule of Net Control Operators to staff the local SKYWARN net. The Area Manager should maintain information on individual Net Control availability and capabilities.

In the event that an insufficient number of Net Control Operators can be found to staff the net, neighboring Area Managers should be consulted regarding the sharing of Net Control resources across Operating Area boundaries. If linking technologies such as Echolink or IRLP are available, they may be used to bridge two Operating Areas together to overcome a staffing deficiency.

In no uncertain terms, the Area Manager is personally responsible for ensuring the primary net is on the air when it needs to be. If no Net Control resources are available within the Operating Area or an adjacent Area and no relief can be obtained through linking technologies, the Area Manager is required to run the net personally.

Area Managers should report to the Amateur Radio Coordinator when nets are on the air and when they are secured, and should also promptly communicate any problems or concerns that arise during the net.

6.3.2. Team Activation Notifications

The Amateur Radio Coordinator should send out an Activation Notification via e-mail or other electronic system to notify the team when SKYWARN is pending activation, activated, or deactivated in any Operating Area. At a minimum this should be sent to the impacted Operating Area and all Area Managers.

6.3.3. Notification of Partners

Notification of SKYWARN activation should be made to the appropriate SKYWARN partners including state, county and local EOC's in impacted areas, local emergency managers, and others who have requested to be notified of SKYWARN amateur radio activations.

Notification may be made electronically or over the air. The activation notification should include the anticipated date and time of activation (if future) and the frequencies on which SKYWARN will be active, if they differ from standard frequencies and protocols. For example, if there is a need to activate a net on HF, this will be indicated.

6.3.4. NWS Notification

It is not necessary to notify NWS employees when local SKYWARN nets are being activated or deactivated, unless they have requested such notification ahead of time. Since coordination with the NWS is required for activation of the SKYWARN Radio Desk, NWS employees will usually be aware of an amateur radio response to the WFO.

However, the Amateur Radio Coordinator should make a courtesy call to the WFO prior to the arrival of the Responders and should provide the estimated time of arrival and headcount. A list of Responder names should also be available in case it is requested by the NWS employees on duty.

6.3.5. Deactivation

Local SKYWARN nets may be deactivated once the severe weather threat has passed or upon closure of the Daytime Activation Criteria window, described on page 22.

Deactivation of the SKYWARN Radio Desk will be at the discretion of NWS employees.