There are a variety of ways to report weather to the NWS Pittsburgh office. You can use any/all of these to reach us. Below the contact info are the types of information we'd like you to report. Please be sure to include the location of the weather event, e.g. 5 miles northwest of Pittsburgh. You may also indicate if you are a trained spotter, a ham radio operator, a member of law enforcement, or other affiliation if applicable.
⚠️Calling our Phone Recording Line is the best way to make urgent reports such as tornadoes currently on the ground.⚠️
⚡️While reports of trees down from wind are useful, please report power outages to your local utility provider. ⚡️
📷Photos are helpful! Pics of damage, downed trees, flooding, snowfall/hail measurements, etc. can be sent to our facebook, X/Twitter, or email accounts below. Be sure to include your location.📷
Report hail size, rain, and snow amounts through CoCoRaHS
Mobile App
Send reports from your location via a smartphone app: MPing
What We Need to Know:
T.E.L. Us!
Time - When did the (hail/flooding/rain/etc.) start and stop?
Event - What's occurring? How strong is the wind? How deep is the snow? How large is the hail?
Location - Your location such as a street address, nearest road intersection, distance from the nearest town, or a latitude/longitude.
For severe storms:
Size of hail (if any) measured with a ruler, or compared to a common object. Please do not report "marble" sized (marbles come in many different sizes)
Wind speed if known, or any wind damage that has taken place
Funnel clouds (aloft) and tornadoes (in contact with the ground). Any damage?
For winter weather:
Snow depth to the nearest inch, measured with a ruler in several spots to get an average
Ice, if any, and its thickness on outdoor objects such as tree branches. Measure with a ruler from the surface of the branch to the surface of the ice.
Road conditions
For flooding:
Are roads closed? Open but covered with water?
If water is on roads, how deep is the water? (Do not enter floodwaters -- just give an approximation)
If water is on roads, is the water flowing or standing still?
Are homes or businesses affected?
Are the floodwaters rising or receding?
Are the floodwaters the result of a stream that has overflowed, or because of poor drainage?
For more detailed hazard information, click on the tabs below. Thank you for your reports!
Tornado
Damaging Winds
Hail
Flooding
Heavy Rain
Snow
Freezing Rain/Icing
Strong Winds
Fog
Tornado
Tornado: A violently rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm cloud to the ground. The Enhanced Fujita Tornado Intensity Scale is used to categorize tornadoes
Funnel Cloud: A condensation funnel extending from the base of a towering cumulus or cumulonimbus, associated with a rotating column of air that is not in contact with the ground (and hence different from a tornado). A condensation funnel is a tornado, not a funnel cloud, if either a) it is in contact with the ground or b) a debris cloud or dust whirl is visible beneath it.
What to Report:
Tornadoes or funnel clouds (be very wary of look-alikes; watch for rotation)
Wall clouds, especially if they are rotating
Damage from a tornado
Wind Damage
What kind of damage did the wind cause?
Small limbs down (less than 2" in diameter)
Large limbs/branches down (more than 2" in diameter)
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