National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

 


NWS Birmingham Storm Spotter Classes
 

โšก๏ธWe offer online basic and advanced spotter courses each spring and fall, usually during March and October, leading into our regional climatological increases in severe weather. These online courses are FREE and allow individuals to complete the course(s) in the comfort of their home or office using GoToWebinar. By attending any course, which runs about 1 hour, an individual or group of individuals will become a SKYWARN storm spotter.

โšก๏ธUnless you'd like to or are in need of a refresher, which we recommend, you do not have to attend more than one basic course as the material covered is the same; however, we require you to attend at least one basic course before taking the advanced course. These courses are two-way, meaning you will be able to interact with the NWS meteorologist leading the training. You will be muted while training is in progress, but you may use the built-in feature to ask questions.

Note: A spotter class may be cancelled or rescheduled if affected by active weather.

 

How to Attend an Online Storm Spotter Class

To avoid being hurried, give yourself at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the class to complete the following:

  1. Via the schedule below, register by clicking the link corresponding to the class you'd like to attend.
  2. Select the "join webinar" button on the registration page or in your confirmation email and follow the prompts.
  3. Enjoy the class and feel free to ask questions!
     

 

Send questions, comments, or inquires to gerald.satterwhite@noaa.gov
 

Online Classes

Date

Time

Class

Registration Link

Thursday, October 2 6:30 - 7:30 pm Basic https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7773998457518567512
Tuesday, October 7 6:30 - 7:30 pm Basic https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5549842565178907995
Thursday, October 9 1:00 - 2:00 pm Basic https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6269801679535021146
Thursday, October 16 6:30 - 7:30 pm Basic https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6825914869654835288
Tuesday, October 21 7:00 - 8:00 pm Advanced https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/303442568896945244
TBD means To Be Determined.
Classes are about 1 hour long unless otherwise indicated
All times are Central unless otherwise noted.
 

 

In-Person Classes
(Registration is not required unless otherwise noted. Event is free)

Date/Time
 

Class

County

Location

TBD Basic TBD TBD
TBD Basic TBD TBD
TBD Basic TBD TBD
TBD means To Be Determined.
Classes are about 1 hour long unless otherwise indicated
All times are Central unless otherwise noted.
 
What is SKYWARN?
 

SKYWARN is the National Weather Service (NWS) program of trained volunteer weather spotters. Storm spotters come from many walks of life, including fire fighters, law enforcement, amateur radio operators, and the public. SKYWARN storm spotters provide important ground truth information to NWS warning forecasters who make critical warning decisions during severe weather, and help the NWS perform its primary mission to save lives and property.

Note: This is not storm chaser training. A storm spotter is a volunteer service that is conducted primarily from fixed locations such as from home, work, or around your community. The National Weather Service does not endorse or encourage the use of storm spotter training for storm chasing.

SKYWARN name and logo are trademarked: SKYWARN® is a registered trademark of NOAA's National Weather Service. Please read the rules for the usage of the SKYWARN® name and logo.

 

Additional SKYWARN Learning Material
 

Visuals and Descriptions

๐Ÿ“ŒNWS Weather Spotter's Field Guide Version One

๐Ÿ“ŒNWS Weather Spotter's Field Guide Version Two

๐Ÿ“ŒNWS JetStream - An Online School for Weather

๐Ÿ“ŒSky Watcher Chart

 

Amateur Radio Clubs

๐Ÿ“ปALERT - Alabama Emergency Response Team

๐Ÿ“ปBirmingham Amateur Radio Club

๐Ÿ“ปMontgomery Amateur Radio Club

๐Ÿ“ปTuscaloosa Amateur Radio Club

 

Modules

Note: These modules do not replace storm spotter training provided by NWS Birmingham but rather are a supplementary source. If you complete these modules, you are still encouraged to attend one of the online classes. We do not provide NWS storm spotter certificates for completing the MetEd modules below. Additionally, NWS Birmingham does not provide Spotter ID numbers.

 

                        MetEd Image                                                                     MetEd Image

 

The "Role of the SKYWARN® Spotter" module is used to provide baseline training for all spotters through multiple scenarios covering the procedures for spotting (including communication
and storm report criteria), safety considerations for all hazards, and an overview of the national program and its history.
The "SKYWARN® Spotter Convective Basics" module will guide users to a basic understanding of convective storms. Through three different scenarios, you will cover reporting and proper communication of local storm reports to the National Weather Service (NWS), personal safety during these events, and field identification of convective storm hazards. After completing the scenarios, you will be given the opportunity to practice
identifying storm features from a spectrum of photos.

 

What and How to Report
 

Remember: be concise and accurate with your report -- what happened, when did it happen, and where did it happen? Please do not report things you are seeing on your radar app.

 ๐Ÿ“ŒSend a report via NWS Birmingham web page

 ๐Ÿ“ŒSend us a message on Facebook

 ๐Ÿ“ŒTag us in a post on X or send a direct message

 ๐Ÿ“ธ Include #alwx on your social media report and a photo if possible

 ๐Ÿ“ฒCall us at 205-664-3010, option 2

 

 

๐Ÿ“ŒRotating wall cloud, funnel cloud, or tornado
Be sure to confirm rotation and include the direction and distance of these features from your location.

๐Ÿ“ŒHail (any size):
Measure the largest hail stone or compare it to a common item like a coin or sports ball.  

  • 0.25" or less - pea
  • 0.50" - mothball
  • 0.75" - dime/penny
  • 0.88" - nickel
  • 1.00" - quarter (severe threshold)
  • 1.25" - half dollar
  • 1.50" - walnut/ping pong ball
  • 1.75" - golf ball
  • 2.00" - hen egg
  • 2.50" - tennis ball
  • 2.75" - baseball
  • 3.00" - tea cup
  • 4.00" - grapefruit
  • 4.50" - softball

๐Ÿ“ŒStrong or damaging winds
What was damaged and to what extent?

  • Healthy trees snapped or uprooted
  • Large tree branches blown down
  • Power poles downed
  • Structures damaged (businesses, homes, outbuildings, etc.)

๐Ÿ“ŒFlooding:
Focus on notable flooding or flooding occurring where it normally does not. Are waterways/streams and creeks rapidly rising? Are roads impassible or homes/businesses threatened?

๐Ÿ“ŒSevere Thunderstorm criteria (any combination of the following):

  • Winds of 58+ mph
  • Hail of 1" in diameter or larger
  • A tornado