SKYWARN Training

Who is Eligible?

Anyone with access to a telephone or HAM radio can join the SKYWARN® program. NWS encourages anyone with an interest in public service and access to communication, such HAM radio, to join the SKYWARN® program. Volunteers include police and fire personnel, dispatchers, EMS workers, public utility workers and other concerned private citizens. Individuals affiliated with hospitals, schools, churches, nursing homes or who have a responsibility for protecting others are also encouraged to become a spotter.

Local Certification Training

As the SKYWARN® certification last for three years, the local training should include both renewals and people who are new to the Skywarn program. Your ID will have a county prefix and a number which will be unique for each person. The Sumter County ID has a SUM prefix, Lake County has LAK, and Marion has MAR. Ruskin has discontinued the SKYWARN County ID.

A NWS Warning Coordination Meteorologist will visit and conduct training. In 2017, an annual training class was conducted locally. In 2018, that has changed to a webinar class. Consult the follow link for class information (https://www.weather.gov/tbw/skywarn) The training covers:

Basics of thunderstorm development
Fundamentals of storm structure
Identifying potential severe weather features
Information to report
How to report information
Basic severe weather safety
Information on other environmental hazards in this region

The classes are free and typically take about two hours.

Although SKYWARN® spotters provide essential information for all types of weather hazards, the main responsibility of a SKYWARN® spotter is to identify and describe severe local storms. In the average year, 10,000 severe thunderstorms, 5,000 floods and more than 1,000 tornadoes occur across the United States. These events threatened lives and property.

SKYWARN® storm spotters are part of the rank of citizens who form the Nation's first line of defense against severe weather. There can be no finer reward than to know that their efforts have given communities the precious gift of time - seconds and minutes that can help save lives.

Information addressed in the SKYWARN training:

Ruskin administrative phone number: 813-645-2323 ext 1
Ruskin Email Contacts: daniel.noah@noaa.gov or jennifer.colson@noss.gov
Tampa Radio Net Email richard.rude@noaa.gov

Online Training

The online training will not provide certification from a NWS office and the ID's are unique and controlled by each office.

SKYWARN® Spotter Training-Comet MetEd (free, self) (web)
Summer Severe Weather-Comet MedEd (free, self) (web)

Training Guides

Basic Spotter's Field Guide (pdf)

Advanced Spotter's Field Guide (pdf)

NOAA Severe Storm's Spotters Guide (web)

A Comprehensive Glossary of Weather Terms (pdf)

Florida's Severe Weather Week Guide 2015 (pdf)

SUMTER COUNTY Amateur Radio Emergency Services Association (ARES) SKYWARN TRAINING “Skywarn®, the Skywarn® logo, NOAA logo® are registered trademarks of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, used with permission.”
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Last Update: 06/28/2018 © Copyright Sumter County ARES. All Rights Reserved.

SUMTER COUNTY Amateur Radio Emergency Services Association (ARES)

SKYWARN TRAINING

SUMTER COUNTY
Amateur Radio Emergency Services Association (ARES)