Reporting

There are many ways to provide reports to the National Weather Service and they appreciate receiving them. If you are a trained spotter with a spotter ID, please include that information in any report you make so the NWS staff know the report is coming from a trained individual. Use the information below to inform your reporting and contact the NWS in one of the ways listed at the end of the page. For additional information on reporting, visit the MPX NWS reporting page.

What to Report

  • Who you are
  • Where is the event
  • What you saw
  • When you saw it (beginning and end time)
  • What kind of damage

Reportable Conditions

  • Tornadoes, Funnel clouds, or Wall Clouds (watch for rotation and persistence)
  • Hail (be specific with size; reference coins or balls; DO NOT report marble size)
  • Thunderstorm winds or thunderstorm wind damage
  • Flooding and/or 1 inch or more of rain within 1 hour

Tornado Reporting

  • Report what you see. DO NOT report what you think you see, what you want to see, or what you think you will see.
  • Report YOUR location, the location of the tornado, and the time.
  • If possible, report other details such as Damage, Debris, Size, and Shape.
  • Be careful when you choose words to describe what you are seeing, especially related to damage. There is a big difference between a house that is destroyed and a house that just has part of its roof torn off! Don’t overstate the significance of what you are observing.
  • Remember, a tornado is defined as a violently rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm and TOUCHING the ground (a visible funnel is NOT needed — look for dust – debris swirling on the ground underneath a defined funnel or strong rotation).

How to Report

  • Join the Kanabec Area Skywarn Net on the KD0CI (Ogilvie) Repeater at 147.240 MHz PL 146.2 Hz or if the repeater is down on simplex at 146.565 MHz
  • Text a report to 320-515-2162 (Kanabec Area Skywarn Coordinator)
  • Use this Web Based Form: Submit Report
  • Post information on the NWS Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/NWSTwinCities
  • Send a tweet: @NWSTwinCities