Skywarn Training Schedule

NWS Binghamton SKYWARN and Webinar Schedule

If you have any questions about the classes or registering issues, please contact (right click on the links below to copy the email address or click/tap to start up your email program).

Mitchell Gaines at Mitchell.Gaines@noaa.gov

or our Warning Coordination Meteorologist Mark Pellerito at Mark.Pellerito@noaa.gov

If you have not received a response in one week time, please call us at (607) 798-6620

WINTER SKYWARNS 2024

Mon Nov 18 700-830 PM: Virtual - Register
Mon Nov 18 9-11 AM: Broome Co. - Hosted by Vestal Fire Department 116 North Main St Vestal, NY - Register
Thu Nov 21 630-800 PM: Chemung Co. - Hosted by Amateur Radio Association of the Southern Tier (ARAST), 41 Soaring Hill Drive, Elmira (Harris Hill, to the left of the National Soaring Museum) - Register NOTES: Space limited to 25 participants/registration will close if exceeded; also plan on arriving between 600-620 PM to get settled
Other Skywarn sessions may still be scheduled; check back soon

Having technical difficulties with the web page: e-mail: Ron.Murphy@noaa.gov

For virtual sessions, you are not required to give all the information on the registration form N/A can be used.

You can also go through an on-line recorded SKYWARN class for basic severe, advanced severe, flood or winter. Once you complete these trainings, email your location name and contact information to Mitchell.Gaines@noaa.gov. This is only for New York and Pennsylvania counties within our area of coverage. If you are viewing these videos outside of NY and PA, please follow up with your local National Weather Service office. While not included in the videos, information on HAM radio networks across the region is listed below. Also, we do not give out spotter ID's.

National: Skywarn Spotter Training via the COMET Program 2 hour course
Local: May 2023 NWS Binghamton Basic Severe Skywarn (~80 minutes of video)
Local: June 2023 NWS Binghamton Advanced Severe Skywarn (~ 2 hour video)
Local: December 2023 NWS Binghamton Winter Skywarn (~1 hr 50 min video)

About SKYWARN: Our program is a year round program. Our goal is to train you how to accurately report severe weather to us, ranging from snowfall measurements, to severe weather (hail, wind, tornadoes, flooding). We offer a Basic SKYWARN and an Advanced SKYWARN in our spring/early summer season, and a Basic Winter SKYWARN in the fall. Flood SKYWARN is done throughout the year based on interest. Anyone is welcome to attend the Basic SKYWARN classes, there is no age requirement and you do not need to have had prior training. For our Advanced classes we require that you have attended (1) of our previous SKYWARN classes in the past 3 years. This can include either our spring or winter version.

SKYWARN Links and Brochures SKYWARN Logo

YouTube Spotter Training Playlist
There is a BGM SKYWARN discussion group now online! For more information contact Mitchell Gaines.
National SKYWARN
Weather Spotter Field Guide. A Guide to Being a SKYWARN Spotter
SKYWARN Recognition Day
Cloud Chart
Wind Speed Estimate Chart (Beaufort Wind Force Scale)
Severe Weather Definitions (hail sizes, what is a severe storm?, etc)
Weather Glossary

Safety

Cold
Heat
Hurricane
Flood
Lightning
Thunderstorm
Tornadoes
Winter
Backpacking/Camping Safety (will need to right click and rotate to view image correctly)

Misc

Amateur Radio