SKYWARN at NWS Raleigh

Skywarn is a National Weather Service (NWS) program of trained volunteer severe weather spotters. Skywarn volunteers support their local community by providing the NWS with timely and accurate severe weather reports. These reports, when integrated with modern NWS technology, are used to inform communities of the proper actions to take as severe weather threatens. The key focus of the Skywarn program is to save lives and property through the use of the observations and reports of trained volunteers.

Skywarn volunteers donate thousands of hours and the use of their own personal radio equipment and vehicles to give their communities advanced warning of life threatening weather. Since the NWS instituted the Skywarn Program, there has been a significant decrease in the death rate due to tornadoes and other severe weather.

Spotter Items:

Watch, Warning, and Advisory criteria for the NWS Raleigh coverage area
Listen to SKYWARN Online Central Carolina SKYWARN | Triad SKYWARN
National Skywarn^TM Web Site
How To Tweet Your Weather Report
Information on joining the CoCoRaHS (Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow) weather spotter network
Click to download the new Weather Spotter's Field Guide (replaces the traditional Basic and Advanced Storm Spotter's Guides)
Want to send in a recent severe weather photo? Email your picture to rah.reports@noaa.gov and we may post it in our photo gallery.
Be sure to follow the NWS on Facebook. Please note that you do not have to have a Facebook account to view our Facebook page; but if you do, be sure to "Like" our page.

Training Sessions:

Date and Time	Training	City	Location	Notes
Saturday, May 25, 2013 9 AM to 11 AM	Skywarn^TM Basic Spotter Training Open to the public	Winston-Salem, NC	Forsyth County Cooperative Extension Building, 1450 Fairchild Rd, Winston-Salem, NC 27105	Basic SKYWARN Training sponsored by Forsyth CERT. All are welcome!
Saturday, May 25, 2013 10:30 AM to 1 PM	Skywarn^TM Advanced Spotter Training Open to the public	Winston-Salem, NC	Forsyth County Cooperative Extension Building, 1450 Fairchild Rd, Winston-Salem, NC 27105	Advanced SKYWARN Training sponsored by Forsyth CERT. PLEASE NOTE: This will be the ONLY Advanced training class offered this year in the Triad area. If you are seeking to take the Advanced training, you won't want to miss this opportunity, as it will be the only one this year. All are welcome!
Thursday, May 30, 2013 7 PM to 9 PM	Skywarn^TM Basic Spotter Training Open to the public	Albemarle, NC	1000 N First St. Albemarle, NC 28001 This location is right across the street from the hospital.	Basic SKYWARN Training sponsored by Stanly County Emergency Services. All are welcome!

Additional classes are being organized. Please check back for updates to this schedule.

Other Spotter Trianing Items:

COMET SKYWARN Spotter Training.This free web-based SKYWARN training class is available to the public, and is offered by the COMET MetED program. The NWS Raleigh is honoring this training and will include individuals who take this online training as part of its database of SKYWARN spotters for central North Carolina.
Online Weather School
Radar Training
To set up a Skywarn^TM session in your area email Nick Petro

Local Skywarn^TM Groups:

Contact Information:

The NWS provides numerous classes at no cost. If you, your club or group would like to help the National Weather Service by becoming a weather spotter or wish to participate in weather safety classes, please contact Nick Petro via email at Nick Petro or by phone at 919-515-8209

Remember...Please email severe weather reports and pictures to rah.reports@noaa.gov