National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce


Weather101 is a series of FREE interactive online classes to help the public learn about meteorology, forecasting and the National Weather Service in general.  These classes will explore the concepts formally found in what was our Advanced SKYWARN spotter classes, plus MORE!

I
ndividuals or groups will be able to complete the courses in the comfort of their own home using the extremely user-friendly computer program, Go-To Meeting.  The only requirement will be speakers to listen, if you're using a computer. If you want to ask questions, you will need to have a VOIP microphone (this is not a requirement). 

Each class can be viewed on a 
Mac or PC, as well as on your iPad, iPhone or Android device by simply downloading the FREE Go-To-Webinar app in the app store on your device (you'll need the Webinar ID number supplied in the registration email).

To sign up for one of our online classes, simply click on the link beside the date/time you want to attend below, fill out the form and we will forward you a link to register on the Go-To Meeting website.  Register, download the FREE software, and BAM! You can attend the one hour online class. Remember, if you're using the Go-To Meeting app on your iPad, iPhone or Android device, your Webinar ID number will be included in your registration email.

 

Date

Time (CT)

Class Title

Register


Monday, Oct 5


7 pm


Severe Thunderstorms


Click Here to Register


Thursday, Oct 8


10 am


Quasi-Linear Convective Systems (QLCS)


Click Here to Register


Friday, Oct 9


10 am


Monsoons


Click Here to Register


Monday, Oct 12


7 pm


The Basics


Click Here to Register


Tuesday, Oct 13


10 am


Weather Balloons


Click Here to Register


Wednesday, Oct 14


10 am


Tsunamis


Click Here to Register


Thursday, Oct 15


7 pm


Lightning


Click Here to Register


Friday, Oct 16


10 am


Satellites


Click Here to Register


Monday, Oct 19


7 pm


Winter Weather


Click Here to Register


Tuesday, Oct 20


7 pm


NWS Storm Surveys


Click Here to Register


Wednesday, Oct 21


7 pm


Weather Balloons


Click Here to Register


Thursday, Oct 22


7 pm


Satellites


Click Here to Register


Friday, Oct 23


10 am


Lightning


Click Here to Register


Monday, Oct 26


10 am


Winter Weather


Click Here to Register


Tuesday, Oct 27


7 pm


Observations in 3D


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Wednesday, Oct 28


7 pm


Monsoons


Click Here to Register


Thursday, Oct 29


10 am


The Basics


Click Here to Register


Friday, Oct 30


10 am


Severe Thunderstorms


Click Here to Register


Monday, Nov 2


7 pm


Quasi-Linear Convective Systems (QLCS)


Click Here to Register


Tuesday, Nov 3


7 pm


River Ice


Click Here to Register


Wednesday, Nov 4


10 am


Flash Flooding


Click Here to Register


Friday, Nov 6


10 am


Observations in 3D


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Monday, Nov 9


7 pm


Global Circulations


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Tuesday, Nov 10


7 pm


Tsunamis


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Monday, Nov 16


10 am


Global Circulations


Click Here to Register


Tuesday, Nov 17


7 pm


Flash Flooding


Click Here to Register


Wednesday, Nov 18


10 am


NWS Storm Surveys


Click Here to Register


Thursday, Nov 19


10 am


Rip Currents


Click Here to Register


Monday, Nov 23


7 pm


Rip Currents


Click Here to Register


Tuesday, Dec 1


10 am


River Ice


Click Here to Register

Classes are FREE & for ALL AGES!
All classes will run approximately 1 hour with a question and answer segment
No prior training is necessary, but registration is required
NOTE: Classes may be canceled with short notice due to severe weather!

 

 

Here's an overview of the topics in each class:


   
          


Not Available this Season

Fire Weather

  • RH and Winds
  • What is a Red Flag Warning?
  • Why do we do a fire weather forecast?





Lightning

  • How does it form?
  • How deadly is it?
  • Where does it occur most often?

 

   
     


Not Available this Season

Using Artificial Intelligence in Convective Outlooks

  • Simplifying Machine Learning
  • Machine Learning and Severe Weather Forecasting
  • Event Analysis of SPC forecast vs Machine Learning




 




River Ice

  • What is River Ice?
  • How does river ice breakdown?
  • How do we forecast it?


   
  

 

 

Rip Currents

  • What is a rip current?
  • How does it form?
  • How do you escape one?

 



               



 

Tsunamis

  • What is a Tsunami?
  • Tsunami vs Tidal Wave
  • How are they forecast?


   

 
 

 Monsoons

  • What is a monsoon?
  • What is a haboob?
  • Where do these occur?

 

           


 

Hurricanes

  • Hazards from hurricanes
  • Saffir-Simpson Scale
  • More tropical information

 

      

 

Severe Thunderstorms:
 What is needed?

  • Instability
  • Wind Shear
  • Lift
   
          



 The Basics

  • Who is the NWS?
  • What causes the weather?
  • What are some weather hazards?


     

 



 

Satellites

  • GOES 16 - 18
  • Satellite Channels
  • How do they help the NWS?


       



Flash Flooding: The Forgotten Element of Severe Weather

  • Meteorological Causes of Flash Flooding
  • River flooding
  • Breakdown of NWS Flood products

  

      



 Observations in 3-Dimensions:
 METARs and Upper Air Patterns

  • METAR breakdown and how they are used
  • Weather analysis maps:
    cold/warm fronts
  • Upper air patterns and their interactions with surface patterns



     

 


  The Radar

  • A quick explanation of Doppler
  • Reflectivity versus velocity
  • Dual Pol products  


   



  Weather Balloons

  • Explain the Upper Air process
  • Breakdown of several typically used parameters
  • Hodographs

     


Quasi-Linear Convective   Systems (QLCSs): 
 The Squall Line

  • What they are, what they aren't
  • How do they form?
  • Why do they give The South fits?



 

Global Circulations

  • What is a El Nino?
  • What is a La Nina?
  • What other global circulations affect weather patterns?
   



Winter Weather

  • How do we forecast snow?
  • Snow vs Ice
  • Winter weather impacts

 

 


     



 NWS Damage Surveys

  • What are they?
  • Why do we do them?
  • The Enhanced Fujita Scale



Forecast Models

  • How do they work?
  • Types of weather models
  • How we use them in forecasting