Sideline Sky Check a field

Lightning clock

Thirty minutes from the last thunder. For everyone.

The National Weather Service: "experts agree that people should wait at least 30 minutes after the last thunder before resuming outdoor activities." Start a clock, send the link to the other coaches, the officials and the field manager. Every press of Thunder heard restarts 30:00 on every phone that has the link.

Free, no sign-up. The clock and its link last 24 hours after the last press.

How to use it on the day

  1. Name a lightning monitor who is not the coach, umpire or referee: the Weather Service's advice, because those people are busy.
  2. At the first thunder or lightning, stop and move everyone to safe shelter (a building or a hard-topped vehicle), then press the button.
  3. Press again for every thunder you hear. The 30 minutes start over each time, for everyone with the link. Presses within 5 seconds count once.
  4. When the clock reaches zero, the wait is over. Check the sky and the radar before restarting. The clock never says it is safe.

Source: National Weather Service, lightning safety for sports (weather.gov/safety/lightning-sports). Sideline Sky does not detect lightning; it counts the time from the last press.