SKYWARN and Storm Chasing

The NWS Wakefield SKYWARN Amateur Radio Support Team maintains a "don't feed the storm chasers" policy and actively discourages the act of storm chasing. Section 1.2.1 of the SKYWARN Operations Manual states:

SKYWARN is not a storm chasing organization. Neither the National Weather Service, the SKYWARN program, nor the NWS Wakefield SKYWARN Amateur Radio Support Team recommend, endorse, encourage, support, or participate in storm chasing activities.

For purposes of this program, the term "storm chasing" shall be applied to the intentional pursuit of severe weather, regardless of whether such activities are for purposes of severe weather reporting, photography/videography, research, or thrill.

The National Weather Service and the NWS Wakefield SKYWARN Amateur Radio Support Team consider the safety of all SKYWARN volunteers, SKYWARN Spotters, and other SKYWARN participants to be of paramount importance, and actively discourages storm chasing activities.

SKYWARN Spotters and other persons who choose to engage in storm chasing do so at their own risk and do so completely independent of their involvement in the SKYWARN program. The National Weather Service and the SKYWARN program accept no responsibility for the decisions of SKYWARN program participants with regard to storm chasing, and can assume no liability for damages arising from the use of SKYWARN reports in storm chasing or any other activities.

Please remember: Do not jeopardize your own safety for the SKYWARN program!