NWS Birmingham, Alabama

Weather Forecast Office

NWS Birmingham Open House

25th Anniversary Open House

Ever wondered what your local National Weather Service office does? Well, now's your chance to find out!

We will open our office for public tours on Saturday, October 14th, 2023, from 10 am until 3 pm. Come take a look inside our operations area, meet the staff, and enjoy a variety of displays from local first responders and core government and private partners. We will have several activities for the kids, including trick-or-treating and a chance to help launch a weather balloon! The event is FREE!!

Thanks to our friends at the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind (AIDB), interpreters will be available for those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Please stop by the AIDB booth or our welcome tent to request service.

Thanks also goes out to the Pelham High School National Spanish Honor Society for sending 2 student volunteers, who will be available for Spanish translation. We will will have 3 indoor tour slots (11am, 1230pm, and 2pm) set aside especially for our Spanish-speaking attendees.

Event Information

What: NWS Birmingham Open House

Where: National Weather Service
465 Weathervane Rd Calera, AL
(Located at the Shelby County Airport)

When: Saturday, October 14, 2023
Public Tours 10 AM - 3 PM

Admission is FREE!!

*No Smoking

**In the event of severe weather, the open house may need to be cancelled.

***No pets allowed. Service dogs permitted.

****No drugs, weapons, or alcohol of any kind allowed.

Things to Do

We've got activities for the whole family to enjoy at the Open House. Come prepared to learn about weather safety and preparedness in fun and exciting ways. The little ones are encouraged to come dressed in their Halloween costumes ready for some trick-or-treating!

Fun for the Whole Family:

Tour local National Weather Service (NWS) office.
Meet the local NWS meteorologists.
Learn how weather radar works by viewing the UAH MAX mobile radar.
Watch a weather balloon release at 12pm.
Tour various emergency vehicles from local fire departments and law enforcement.
Visit with local TV meteorologists and tour their storm chase vehicles.
Walk through exhibits from various local agencies & organizations.
Meet Owlie Skywarn & Sparky the Fire Dog.
Learn about weather safety & preparedness.
Enter to win a NOAA weather radio.
Grab some lunch from several local food trucks!

Special Activities for the Kids:

Trick-or-treating
Coloring contest
Scavenger hunt
Pictures with Owlie Skywarn (owl mascot)
Kids' booth with various handouts & weather experiments you can do at home
Win chance to launch a weather balloon with Owlie! (Launch is scheduled for 12PM)

Participants

Directions

If using a GPS device for directions to our office, please use Shelby County Airport as the destination. In most cases, GPS does not place our address in the correct location.

Directions From I-65 South:

Take exit 234 (County Road 87).
Turn right onto Co Rd 87.
At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Weathervane Rd.

Directions From I-65 North:

Take exit 234 (County Road 87).
Turn left onto Co Rd 87.
At the roundabout, take the first exit onto Weathervane Rd.

Event Flyers