Skip Navigation Linksweather.gov
NOAA logo - Click to go to the NOAA homepage National Weather Service Forecast Office NWS logo - Click to go to the NWS homepage
Charleston, South Carolina
Local forecast by
"City, State" or "Zip"
  
NWS Charleston, SC - Skywarn

skywarn

NWS Charleston SKYWARNTM/Storm Spotter Program

About the Storm Spotter/SKYWARNTMProgram

Storm Spotter/SKYWARNTM is a voluntary program developed by the National Weather Service (NWS) to improve the warning program. Storm Spotter volunteers serve as severe weather spotters for the NWS and local emergency management programs, and generally have two things in common - an interest in the weather and an interest in serving their community.

The NWS needs real-time reports of hail size, wind damage, flash flooding, heavy rain, tornados, and waterspoutsin order to effectively warn the public. Even as new technology allows the NWS to issue warnings with more lead time, spotters will always be needed as links between radar indications of severe weather and ground truth information.



How to Become a NWS Storm Spotter

1) Attend one of our "Basic Spotter" training classes. We also offer an "Advanced Spotter" training session for those that want to learn more details about severe weather.

Check the latest Storm Spotter Training Schedule (Adobe "PDF" Reader) to see if a class is scheduled near you.

2) Online/Web-based Option - If you cannot attend one of our training sessions in person, or you just want to refresh you knowledge of the Storm Spotter program, check out the training on the COMET MetEd web site. Note: You will need to register on the COMET web site to access the training.

If you chose option (2), be sure to follow the instructions in the Course Description section for how to become an official Storm Spotter for the NWS in Charleston, SC.

Questions?
Contact Ron Morales, Warning Coordination Meteorologist
E-mail:Ron.Morales@noaa.gov
Phone: 843-744-0303 ext 223



What kind of severe weather reports do we need?

1.  Tornadoes, waterspouts, funnel clouds or rotating wall clouds
2.  Hail (Any size)
3.  Estimated or measured wind speeds of 50 mph or greater
4.  Flooding resulting in closed roads, property damage
5.  Rainfall amounts greater than 1 inch per hour
6.  Trees downed by wind (including large limbs)
7.  Downed power lines

When reporting any of these events, it's very important to tell us WHEN and WHERE they occurred.  If it's a second or third hand report, please give us the source of the original report, along with all the applicable information in #1-7 above.

Click here for a quick reference sheet with our reporting criteria and methodology.



Reporting Criteria

Hail Sizes
0.25 inch - Pea
0.50 inch - Dime
0.75 inch - Penny
0.88 inch - Nickel
***SEVERE***
1.00 inch - Quarter
1.25 inches - Half dollar
1.50 inches - Ping pong ball
1.75 inches - Golf ball
2.00 inches - Hen egg
2.50 inches - Tennis ball
2.75 inches - Baseball
3.00 inches - Tea cup
4.00 inches - Grapefruit
4.50 inches - Softball


Please report the size of the largest hailstones as they cause the most damage. Also, please do not use the term "marble size" or "ice cube" since these items come in many different sizes.

Wind Speeds
25-31 mph: Large branches in motion; whistling heard in telephone wires and power lines.
32-38 mph: Whole trees in motion; inconvenience felt walking in the wind.
39-55 mph: Twigs break off trees; wind generally impedes progress.
***SEVERE***
56-72 mph: Damage to chimneys and TV antennas; shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
73-112 mph: Surface of roofs peeled away; windows broken; mobile homes pushed or overturned; moving cars pushed off roads.
113-157 mph: Roofs torn off; weak buildings and mobile homes destroyed; large trees snapped and uprooted.
157+ mph: Severe damage; cars lifted off the ground.



Storm Spotter/SKYWARNTMOperations on 2 Meters

The Storm Spotter/SKYWARNTM program at NWS Charleston utilizes the vast 2 meter amateur radio network across southeast South Carolina and adjacent southeast Georgia to obtain severe weather reports. In the event of severe weather, and at the discretion of the forecaster-in-charge, a net controller will be called in to initiate a severe weather net. Although this will occur primarily with large outbreaks, sometimes reports will be solicited for smaller, less organized weather events.

In case of severe weather, NWS Charleston may monitor the following repeaters:

South Carolina
146.760 MHz...Awendaw SCHeart repeater

Additional repeaters include:
1) 146.715 MHz...White Hall SCHeart repeater
2) 147.105 MHz...Charleston SCHeart repeater
3) 146.790 MHz...USS Yorktown CARS repeater
4) 146.910 MHz...White Hall CARA repeater
5) 147.345 MHz...Adams Run TARC repeater

Georgia
146.970 MHz...Savannah

Additional repeaters include:
1) 147.330 MHz...Savannah


When a severe weather net is activated, the call sign for NWS Charleston is: WX4CHS

When calling net control, simply call "Charleston Weather". It is not the intent of the net to provide the latest conditions and forecasts. The net is set up to receive reports, not give them. Please remember this so that the net will be successful.



Lowcountry Storm Spotter/SKYWARNTMNet

All amateurs are cordially invited to check in to the Lowcountry Storm Spotter/SKYWARNTM Net every Tuesday night at 9 PM on the CARS and SCHeart repeater systems. The net is sponsored by the National Weather Service in Charleston. The purpose is to practice calling a SKYWARNTM net and to encourage hams to relay weather information to the National Weather Service in Charleston if a net is activated. If severe weather is occurring or imminent at the weekly net time, the net will be cancelled for that week. You'll be asked your name, call sign, spotter number (if you have one), location, and a brief description of current weather conditions at your location. We look forward to hearing from you!



Useful Links

NOTE:To access "PDF" files, you can download a free copy of the Adobe Acrobat Reader by clicking here.

National Weather Service
Charleston Weather Forecast Office
5777 South Aviation Avenue
Charleston, S.C. 29406-6162
(843) 744-0303

Page Author: 
Web Master's E-mail:  chs.webmaster@noaa.gov
Page last modified: October 27, 2011
Disclaimer
Credits
Glossary
Privacy Policy
About Us
Career Opportunities