Spring Severe Weather Season Is Fast Approaching… Be A SKYWARN Spotter

Online SKYWARN Spotter Classes
NWS Birmingham offers several ONLINE Basic Spotter Courses and a single Advanced Spotter Course each spring and fall. These online classes allow individuals to complete the course(s) in the comfort of their own home or office with the use of Join.me. By attending any course, which runs about 2 hours, individuals (or a group of individuals) will become SKYWARN Spotters. To see when these classes will be held, scroll down. To schedule a LOCAL Basic Storm Spotter class in your area, please contact your county Emergency Management Office.

Unless you’d like to or are in need of a refresher, you do not need to attend more than one Basic SKYWARN Course, as the material covered is the same. However, you are required to attend at least one Basic SKYWARN Course before taking the Advanced SKYWARN Course. These courses are two-way, meaning you will be able to interact with the meteorologist leading the training. You will be muted while training is in-progress, and unmuted when applicable (e.g., for questions); or, you can use the built-in chat feature.

How to Attend an Online SKYWARN Spotter Class
You may attend any spotter course via: your Internet browser using web-based Join.me, or your tablet using the Join.me app., available for download in Google Play and the Apple App store.

Internet browser:

• Go to Join.me
• Select the green button located on the right of the webpage labeled ‘Join Meeting.’
• You will then be prompted to enter a nine-digit code. The code corresponds to the time and date of the course you wish to attend. Codes are listed below in the class schedules.
• Enable your audio feed by selecting the green audio button at the top of the Join.me window. Select “Call by Internet” in the drop-down menu.

Join.me app.:

• Open the Join.me app.
• Enter your nine-digit meeting code under the green “join” section. The code corresponds to the time and date of the course you wish to attend. Codes are listed below in the class schedules.
• Enable your audio feed by selecting the green phone icon at the top of the Join.me window. Select “Call by Internet” in the drop-down menu.

Spring 2018 Severe Season Online Basic SKYWARN Spotter Class Schedule
Wednesday, Feb. 21st at 6:30 PM CST… code: 173-280-976
Tuesday, Feb. 27th at 6:30 PM CST… code: 302-207-574
Tuesday, March 6th at 1:00 PM CST… code: 539-919-581
Thursday, March 15th at 1:00 PM CDT… code: 541-472-536
Thursday, March 22nd at 6:30 PM CDT… code: 425-457-943

Spring 2018 Severe Season Online Advanced SKYWARN Spotter Class Schedule
Tuesday, March 27th at 6:30 PM CDT… code: 743-275-677

SKYWARN Facts
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, and amateur radio operators. SKYWARN spotters coordinate with local emergency management officials and send reports of weather based phenomena to the NWS.

In addition to serving as a community’s first line of defense against dangerous storms, spotters provide important information to warning forecasters who make critical warning decisions. SKYWARN storm spotters play a critical role of giving the NWS vital ground truth data, which helps the NWS perform its primary mission, to save lives and property.

Registration will be conducted prior to the beginning of each class. Spotter classes are not usually held during the summer months. Additional spotter classes may not be shown above when scheduled for specific groups such as law enforcement training classes.

For more information, please visit the NWS Birmingham SKYWARN Storm Spotter Classes and Information page.

All information on this post is from the NWS Birmingham SKYWARN Storm Spotter Classes and Information page.

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