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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:

Are you interested in hosting a SKYWARN Spotter Training Session?  

The NWS Raleigh frequently works with groups such as amateur radio clubs, emergency services organizations, schools, universities, and civic groups and clubs to host SKYWARN Spotter Training. If your group or club would like to host a training session in central North Carolina, please complete this survey. We require a mininum of 20 people to attend before we'll consider hosting a training session with any group.  

NWS Raleigh spotter ID numbers

NWS Raleigh has discontinued the issuance of, and use of spotter ID numbers. When making storm reports to the NWS Raleigh, please do not include a spotter ID number; instead, simply provide your name, location, details pertaining to the severe weather or damage, and contact information. Spotters who wish to obtain some sort of identification number are encouraged to consider becoming a CoCoRaHS observer to supplement their SKYWARN service.


Schedule of upcoming SKYWARN training sessions offered by NWS Raleigh: 

 

No in-person or live virtual training options are scheduled at this time.   Please check back frequently for updates to this schedule, and please consider our free web-based SKYWARN training options listed below.   In addition, please consider the training options offered by NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, as listed below.  

 

Date and Time Location Training Sponsor and Event Notes.  Unless otherwise noted, all events are open to the public.

Date:

Monday

August 19, 2024

Time: 7:00 PM

ONLINE

Virtual

NWS Raleigh Annual Tropical SKYWARN Class

Hosted by NWS Raleigh Meteorologist Tom Green

You can register for this free online class by visiting

https://www.weather.gov/Raleigh/tropicalskywarn

Date:

Thursday

September 19, 2024

Time: 7:00 PM

Cleveland Draft House of Fuquay

1420 E. Broad St

Fuquay-Varina NC 27526

SKYWARN Training sponsored by:

Fuquay-Varina CERT

 

 

Free, web-based SKYWARN training:

 

If you prefer to take SKYWARN training on your own time, we offer two different free web-based training opportunities:  

 

  • NWS Raleigh YouTube Spotter Training video.   Please see and follow the instructions in the description section below the training video.  

  • 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.

 

Other Training Items:

 

Local SkywarnTM Groups:

 

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