The Cloud Cowboy Reference Manual
2010 Edition

Download the Cloud Cowboy Reference Manual (PDF)

The first “Cloud Cowboy Reference Manual” was created in 1990 to give new members of Garland RACES basic storm spotting information. The cover was a hand scrawled picture of a cowboy with a handie-talkie in his hand calmly reporting “... no rain, no wind in Mapsco ...” as a tornado approached from behind. It was six sheets of 8 1/2 by 11 paper copied on both sides with “the basics.”

Welcome to the 2010 Edition of the Cloud Cowboy. Congratulations on 20 years worth of serving the Dallas County SKYWARN spotter community! The focus for this year’s CCRM is Spotter Safety, this topic was sorely lacking in our training, materials, and core thought processes. You serve our communities by being in the field providing the ‘ground truth’ about severe weather and other potentially dangerous events. If you are not safe in doing so, you will have a difficult time providing for the safety of our communities.

As always, the contents of this manual are meant for you to build upon. Please add whatever will make it work best for you and pass along any ideas, changes, or suggestions to n5npl@dallasraces.org.  

If you find this reference manual useful, please thank the contributing Amateur Radio Operators, Dallas County RACES Radio Officers and organizations credited throughout. Finally, thanks especially to all SKYWARN spotters for braving the storms for the protection your families, friends, neighbors, and communities.

73 de
Pat Hykkonen
N5NPL




Older versions of the CCRM: