PeoriaCountySKYWARN®

Peoria County SKYWARN® is sponsored by Peoria County ARES®.

Skywarn® is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National
Weather Service’s (NWS) severe weather spotting program with nearly 290,000 trained
volunteers nationwide. Since the late 1960s, trained Skywarn® spotters have helped
support the NWS’ primary mission of protecting life and property through the issuance
of severe weather warnings. These dedicated citizens help keep their local community
safe by conveying severe weather reports to their local NWS Forecast Office.
Skywarn® spotters are integral to the success of our Nation’s severe weather warning
system.

Every year the NWS conducts Skywarn® spotter training sessions. The NWS currently
has 122 Weather Forecast Office’s across the nation, each with a Warning Coordination
Meteorologist, who is responsible for administering the Skywarn® program in their local
area. There is no charge and a typical class takes about 2 hours to conduct.

The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) is a noncommercial membership
organization of radio amateurs, organized for the promotion of interest in Amateur
Radio. The National Weather Service works with ARRL Section Amateur Radio
Emergency Service volunteers at the local level to establish Skywarn® radio networks,
and/or other specialized weather emergency alert and relief systems. These local
Skywarn® radio organizations act as communicators and spotters when severe weather
and other disasters strike. The working partnership between NWS and ARRL is
formally documented through a Memorandum of Understanding. NWS Warning
Coordination Meteorologists are responsible for maintaining this working partnership
with the local ARRL Skywarn® volunteers.

“Skywarn® and the Skywarn® logo are registered trademarks of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, used with permission.”