000
NOUS41 KBGM 061402 RRA
PNSBGM
PAZ038>040-043-044-047-048-072-070500-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BINGHAMTON NY
900 AM EST FRI MAR 6 2008

...SKYWARN SPOTTERS RELAY CRITICAL WEATHER INFORMATION...

TODAY IS THE FINAL DAY OF PENNSYLVANIA SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS
WEEK. WE HAVE COVERED VARIOUS TOPICS RELATING TO SEVERE WEATHER
AND WEATHER SAFETY.

OUR FINAL TOPIC TODAY 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.

BY FAR...THE LARGEST NUMBER OF SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE HAM RADIO
OPERATORS.  AMATEUR RADIO EMERGENCY GROUPS AND AMATEUR RADIO
CLUBS RELAY IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND
TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY RADIO.

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICES OPERATE A SKYWARN RADIO STATION
WHENEVER TORNADO OR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCHES OR WARNINGS ARE
IN EFFECT ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH.  VOLUNTEERS AT THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE BROADCAST RADAR INFORMATION ABOUT THE
LOCATION OF POSSIBLE TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.
AT THE SAME TIME...THEY SOLICIT REPORTS FROM SKYWARN VOLUNTEERS
AND OTHER CITIZENS IN THE AREAS OF CONCERN.

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.

TO OUR MANY FRIENDS IN THE SKYWARN PROGRAM...WE AT THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE SAY...THANK YOU FOR YOUR GREAT HELP.

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 RAVAGES OF THIS SEVERE WEATHER SEASON...
AND CONSIDER BECOMING A SKYWARN SPOTTER.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON SEVERE WEATHER AND SAFETY...PLEASE
VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT:

HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/BGM/PREPAREDNESS/PREPAREDNESS_MAIN.SHTML

...ALL IN LOWER CASE.

$$
DAVID NICOSIA
WARNING COORDINATION METEOROLOGIST
NOAA-NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BINGHAMTON NY