The Central Ohio Severe Weather Network (COSWN) supports the National Weather Service (NWS) and area public safety agencies when severe weather threatens or is present in central Ohio. COSWN is the central Ohio Skywarn® Radio Network and works directly with the NWS office in Wilmington, Ohio. Our goal is to provide ground truth information to the NWS to enable the distribution of accurate and timely warning information for the general public. Our area of responsibility includes the following counties in central Ohio: Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Fayette, Hocking, Licking, Madison, Pickaway, Ross, Union.

Federal Communication Commission licensed amateur radio operators are trained by the NWS to recognize and report weather conditions that could threaten life and property. This voluntary effort in time, materials and radio systems provide an important public service to the central Ohio community.

Public safety personnel dispersed throughout the area bring another source of information to COSWN providing additional details about severe weather events. COSWN partners with radio repeater system owners & repeater network partners to communicate with weather spotters throughout our ten county service area.

COSWN is a Weather Ready Nation Ambassador

The Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador™ initiative is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) effort to formally recognize NOAA 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 strengthen national resilience against extreme weather. In effect, the WRN Ambassador initiative helps unify the efforts across government, non-profits, academia, and private industry toward making the nation more ready, responsive, and resilient against extreme environmental hazards. Weather-Ready Nation (WRN) is a strategic outcome where society’s response should be equal to the risk from all extreme weather, water, and climate hazard.