National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

The Student Volunteer Intern Program 
at the NWS Mount Holly Forecast Office

  • Are you a college student from the Philadelphia/Delaware Valley area, in your Junior year of a major in Meteorology or a related field? 
     

  • Are you interested in learning first-hand about operational forecasting in the National Weather Service?

If so, then the student volunteer intern program at 

NWS Mount Holly may be right for you.

Each summer we bring in several student volunteers to work part time at our office. We look for a diverse pool of applicants from which to choose, i.e., different schools, different ethnic backgrounds, male/female, etc. Students typically work two days or evenings a week, for a total of about 16 hours. The times are flexible; we try to work out a schedule that is convenient for all the volunteers. Students start in mid to late May and continue through the end of July. We prefer that students work on weekdays, but weekends are also possible. 

As a student volunteer, you will have the opportunity to work at an NWS forecast office and see how the forecasts are prepared. You can learn about AWIPSNOAA Weather Radio, and various other NWS computer systems. We will set up training shifts at specific forecast desks, including public, aviation/marine, hydrology, and severe weather. As opportunities arise, you may be able to visit remote equipment sites, go on storm surveys, or attend meetings with our customers. 

Basically, you will perform most of the duties of a entry-level meteorologist in the NWS. Also, we try to find a concise research project, such as a weather-event case study or local climate study, which can be completed during the summer, and that will have lasting benefit for our office. 

Some students receive academic credit for their work here, but many do not. That is up to the individual.

We accept applications from prospective student interns during January and February, and make selections in early March. We may conduct a telephone interview as part of the selection process. Again, we look for students who by the coming summer will have completed their Junior year of a major in meteorology, atmospheric science, or a related field. Computer programming skills are also definitely a plus. 

If you would like to apply for our student volunteer intern program, please send your resume and transcript (official or unofficial is fine), including courses this spring, to Robert.Deal@noaa.gov, or if you have a question not answered above, contact us via the same e-mail address.