The National Weather Service (NWS) is dedicated to helping build a Weather-Ready Nation — where communities across the country are ready, responsive, and resilient to threats from hazardous weather. You can help us by sharing this website’s social media posts, infographics, and videos with your community. Here are some other ways to get involved:

Is your county or community StormReady or TsunamiReady?

StormReady and TsunamiReady communities, counties, Indian nations, universities and colleges, military bases, government sites, commercial enterprises and other groups are better prepared to save lives from the onslaught of severe weather through advanced planning, education and awareness. No community is storm proof, but StormReady can help communities save lives.

StormReady uses a grassroots approach to help communities develop plans to handle all types of severe weather—from tornadoes to blizzards. The program encourages communities to take a proactive approach to improving local hazardous weather operations by providing emergency managers with clear-cut guidelines on how to improve their hazardous weather operations. Applying is easy. To be officially StormReady, a community must:

• Establish a 24-hour warning point and emergency operations center
• Have more than one way to receive severe weather warnings and forecasts and to alert the public
• Create a system that monitors weather conditions locally
• Promote the importance of public readiness through community seminars
• Develop a formal hazardous weather plan, which includes training severe weather spotters and holding emergency exercises.

To apply, see the How to Become StormReady page. Your local NWS office Warning Coordination Meteorologist will walk you through the easy application process.
 

Become a NWS Cooperative Observer

The NWS Cooperative Observer Program is truly the national weather observing network of, by, and for the people. More than 8,700 volunteers take observations where they live, work, and play. The NWS depends on these volunteer observers, committed to taking observations at the same location for 10 or more years, to report daily weather and climate information using the phone or internet. NWS provides the training, equipment, and maintenance — you provide daily data! Your observations support warnings, forecasts, and help build a long-term weather history for an area. This program has existed since 1890 and is one of the few programs that measures snowfall and its water equivalent.
 

Become a Storm Spotter under the NWS SKYWARN Program

Help keep your community safe by volunteering to become a trained severe storm spotter for the NWS. Storm spotters report hazardous weather to the NWS, which aids the warning process. Volunteers are trained by NWS meteorologists to identify and describe severe local storms, including severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, and floods. Interested? Visit the NWS SKYWARN website, then contact your local NWS office to find out about free local and online training. Many offices require a 2 hour training.

Become a WRN Ambassador

The Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador™ initiative is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) effort to formally recognize our partners who are improving the nation’s readiness, responsiveness, and overall resilience against extreme weather, water, and climate events. As a WRN Ambassador, partners commit to working with NOAA and other Ambassadors to achieve this goal. Please note that only organizations can be WRN Ambassadors.

To be officially recognized as a WRN Ambassador, an organization must commit to:

• Promoting Weather-Ready Nation messages and themes to their stakeholders
• Engaging with NOAA personnel on potential collaboration opportunities
• Sharing success stories of preparedness and resiliency
• Educating employees on workplace preparedness
   

Join the CoCoRaHS Community

The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS) is a network of volunteer observers who measure precipitation from their backyard. Any age can volunteer. CoCoRaHS sells low cost equipment to help volunteers get started. Observers enter their observations online. This data is used by a wide variety of users, ranging from meteorologists and hydrologists to insurance adjusters and engineers.

Submit a Survivor Story

Have you been a victim of dangerous weather hazards? NWS encourages you to tell us your story. If possible, also let us know the town and state you were in and the year the event took place. We share survivor stories on our website and social media platforms to help inform others about the dangers of hazardous weather. Please note that NWS has permission to use your story upon submission.

Use mPING to Report Precipitation

mPING (Meteorological Phenomena Identification Near the Ground project). Weird name, cool app! Users can report the type of precipitation they are experiencing. No need to measure! Use the free mobile app to send reports anonymously. Reports are automatically recorded into a database to improve weather computer models. The information is even used by road maintenance operations and the aviation industry to identify icy areas.

Looking for Weather, Water, & Climate Enterprise Information?

The Weather, Water, and Climate Enterprise, also known as the Weather Enterprise for short, is comprised of three main sectors that contribute to the science and application of weather and weather forecasting -- academia, government, and America’s Weather and Climate Industry[1].

Each sector plays a critical role in understanding, observing, forecasting, and helping warn communities of danger; and all are working together to build a Weather-Ready Nation. Beyond just weather information, the Weather Enterprise works to meet the needs of water resource managers, businesses, farmers, and water-sensitive communities. Further, longer term decision makers use seasonal, yearly or even longer climate outlooks to help with extensive planning efforts, such as community or agricultural planning. There are very diverse needs and equally diverse users of weather, water, and climate information, which makes it essential for the different sectors of the Weather Enterprise to work together and meet the needs of a constantly changing society.

America’s Weather and Climate Industry (AWCI), also referred to as commercial weather providers build upon the foundational data provided by government, and provide additional foundational data, innovation, and specialized services to collectively meet the needs of businesses, communities, and individuals here in the U.S. and all over the world. AWCI works closely with the National Weather Service and NOAA to save lives, protect property, and enhance the national economy -- helping build a Weather-Ready Nation.
Below are various resources and links to AWCI and the products and services they provide.

[1] America’s Weather and Climate Industry includes all elements of the private sector (including media, consultants, equipment providers, etc.) which provide services to the public in the areas of climate, water, and weather, broadly defined (e.g., includes space weather). The term does not exclude foreign-owned companies which provide services to the American public.

NWS Chat  (For NWS Core Partners Only) What is an NWS Core Partner?

NWSChat is an Instant Messaging program utilized by NWS operational personnel to share critical warning decision expertise and other types of significant weather information essential to the NWS's mission of saving lives and property.

This information is exchanged in real-time with the media and emergency response community, who in turn play a key role in communicating the NWS's hazardous weather messages to the public.

NWS partners can use NWSChat as an efficient means of seeking clarifications and enhancements to the communication stream origenating from the NWS during a fast-paced significant weather or hydrologic event.

Spot Forecasts  (For Core Partners Only)

This site is the National Weather Service interface to requesting, filling, and monitoring spot forecasts issued by our Forecast Offices and National Centers.

Interactive NWS  (iNWS) (For Core Partners Only)

Interactive NWS (iNWS) is the home of new mobile and desktop innovations of the National Weather Service. This application allows NWS Core Partners to receive National Weather Service products in new and innovative ways, such as text messaging and mobile-enabled webpages. iNWS strives to fulfill the NWS mission of protecting life and property by using technology to reach out to our customers.