The BergenSkywarn Website

NWS Upton NY Cool Season SKYWARN Activation and Reporting Criteria

When and How To Submit Storm or Storm Related Damage Reports

When and How To Submit Snowfall Accumulation Reports

How To Correctly Measure Snowfall Accumulations

How To Estimate Ice Accretion (Buildup) From Freezing Rain

The first rule of severe weather spotting

 and emergency communications is to protect yourself!

Insure your own safety first!

Then and only then, communicate your observation

Cool Season SKYWARN Activation:

SKYWARN, in the NWS Upton NY CWA, is automatically activated whenever any of the following items are Tone Alerted Over Local NOAA Weather Radio or whenever requested by the on-duty NWS Upton NY Lead Forecaster

• Blizzard Warnings
• Coastal Flood Warnings
• Flood Watches
• Flood Warnings (if not already activate by a Watch)
• High Wind Warnings
• Winter Storm Warnings

Also be aware that SKYWARN will also be automatically activated should any of the Warm Season SKYWARN Activation Criteria items be Tone Alerted on Local NOAA Weather Radio during the Cool Season.

NWS Upton NY Cool Season SKYWARN Reporting Criteria:

• Bergen and/or Passaic County SKYWARN Nets
  
  
  • Storm Reports for weather events meeting or exceeding the NWS Upton NY Cool Season SKYWARN Reporting Criteria as well as any associated Storm Damage Reports can be submitted on a Bergen-Passaic SKYWARN Net, by using the NWS Upton NY Online Spotter Report Webform, via Direct Email or by using the SKYWARN Spotter 1-800 number (Reports via Email or the Webform are preferred for snow accumulation reports).
    
    
• NWS Upton NY Snowfall Reporting Criteria:
  
  
  THE NWS UPTON NY REQUESTS THAT ALL SNOWFALL REPORTS BE IN 
  COMPLIANCE WITH OFFICIAL NWS SNOWFALL REPORTING METHODOLOGIES
  PLEASE READ THIS IMPORTANT INFORMATION
  BEFORE SUBMITTING YOUR SNOWFALL REPORTS
  
  
  • SKYWARN Spotters in the NWS Upton NY CWA should report Snowfall Accumulations based on the following criteria:
    • When snow accumulates 1 inch (especially when none is forecast)
    • When snow accumulates 3 inches (the NWS issues an advisory for 4 inches)
    • When snow accumulates 5 inches (the NWS issues a warning for 6 inches)
    • When snow accumulates 1 inch in 1 hour
    • Storm Total Snowfall
      
      
  • Snowfall Accumulation or associated Storm Damage Reports can be submitted on a Bergen-Passaic SKYWARN Net, by using the NWS Upton NY Online Spotter Report Webform, via Direct Email or by using the SKYWARN Spotter 1-800 number (Reports via Email or the Webform are preferred for snow accumulation reports) (Please Note: not every local snow event will have a SKYWARN Net associated with it, however Snowfall Accumulation and confirmed Damage Reports are requested for all snow events)
    
    
• How To Correctly Measure Snowfall:
  
  
  • Snowfall Measuring Guidelines (NWS Binghamton NY)
  • NWS Cooperative Observer Snowfall Measuring Guidelines
    
    
• How To Estimate Freezing Rain Induced Ice Accretion (Buildup)

  • Ice accretion occurs when rain falls with surface temperatures below freezing. This is commonly called freezing rain.

  • The best way to measure ice accretion is to break off a very small branch/twig from a tree.  Use a ruler to measure the thickness of ice in tenths of an inch.  There may be one side of the branch or twig with a greater thickness of ice than the other side.  In this instance, please report the average thickness of ice buildup.

REMEMBER

Never place yourself in danger

 when reporting Severe Weather!

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