First Alert Weather Academy (2024)

First Alert Weather Academy: Weather Myths

Updated: Jun. 10, 2020 at 10:42 AM EDT

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Did somebody ever tell you something about the weather that you still believe today, even though it may be wrong?

First Alert Weather Academy: Tornadoes

Updated: Jun. 8, 2020 at 12:24 PM EDT

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Non-supercell tornadoes are circulations that do not form from organized storm-scale rotation. These tornadoes form from a vertically spinning parcel of air already occurring near the ground caused by wind shear from a warm, cold, or sea breeze front, or a dryline.

First Alert Weather Academy: Weather impact on rocket launches

Updated: Jun. 2, 2020 at 5:03 PM EDT

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Did you happen to catch the May 30 SpaceX launch; the second-such attempt to send astronauts back into space from Cape Canaveral?

First Alert Weather Academy: Summer Beach Safety Tips

Updated: May. 28, 2020 at 12:14 PM EDT

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Summer beach safety tips

First Alert Weather Academy: Heat safety

Updated: May. 25, 2020 at 2:59 PM EDT

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Summer doesn’t officially begin until June 20, but It's that time of year again when our temperatures are heating up and we need to think heat safety.

First Alert Weather Academy: Make your own snow

Updated: May. 21, 2020 at 3:36 PM EDT

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It’s difficult to forecast winter precipitation because there are several layers of the atmosphere.

First Alert Weather Academy: Droughts

Updated: May. 19, 2020 at 5:03 PM EDT

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We hear about tornadoes, hurricanes and severe thunderstorms on the news. But there is another form of weather that can, at times, have longer lasting further reaching impacts: droughts.

First Alert Weather Academy: How tornadoes are rated

Updated: May. 14, 2020 at 2:14 PM EDT

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Fifty years ago this week a devastating tornado in Lubbock, Texas led to the creation of a tornado rating system.

First Alert Weather Academy: Tropical Terminology

Updated: May. 12, 2020 at 12:54 PM EDT

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We’ve all seen the impacts of what tropical systems can do on our area, from Hurricane Matthew to Irma. That’s why it’s always good to understand what kind of impacts could affect our area.

First Alert Weather Academy: Sunset colors

Updated: May. 7, 2020 at 5:25 PM EDT

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Have you or your children ever wondered why the sky is blue? Or why the sun is a different color at sunset?

First Alert Weather Academy: How does sea breeze affect our local weather?

Updated: May. 5, 2020 at 4:56 PM EDT

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A few things are guaranteed during our long summers - heat, humidity and the sea breeze.

First Alert Weather Academy: Severe Thunderstorm Warnings

Updated: Apr. 30, 2020 at 12:01 PM EDT

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Severe Thunderstorm Warnings are common, especially in the spring and summer across the Lowcounty and Coastal Empire, but have you ever wondered why some storms are warned and others aren’t?

First Alert Weather Academy: Why do we have seasons?

Updated: Apr. 27, 2020 at 8:34 PM EDT

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Have you ever thought about why we have seasons?

First Alert Weather Academy: Homemade Hygrometer

Updated: Apr. 23, 2020 at 4:32 PM EDT

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WTOC Meteorologist Jamie Ertle teaches you how to make a homemade hygrometer.

First Alert Weather Academy: DIY Thermometer

Updated: Apr. 21, 2020 at 4:59 PM EDT

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Measuring the temperature is difficult if you don't have access to a thermometer! Meteorologist Cutter Martin shows us how you can make one at home.

First Alert Weather Academy: Radars

Updated: Apr. 16, 2020 at 11:51 AM EDT

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We talk about radars all the time while on TV, but did you know its actually an acronym?

Weather Academy: What makes the wind blow?

Updated: Apr. 14, 2020 at 9:00 AM EDT

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Wind is defined as the horizontal movement of air past a certain point.

First Alert Weather Academy: Anatomy of Lightning

Updated: Apr. 9, 2020 at 2:39 PM EDT

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A typical cloud to ground lightning strike initiates inside the storm.

First Alert Weather Academy: How hail forms

Updated: Apr. 7, 2020 at 5:04 PM EDT

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We’re no stranger to severe weather across the Coastal Empire and Lowcountry - some communities have already seen nasty storms this spring season.

Making a tornado in a bottle

Updated: Apr. 2, 2020 at 12:32 PM EDT

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Within the past week, we have seen destructive tornadoes across the Southeast and Midwest. On this week's First Alert Weather Academy, Meteorologist Andrew Gorton explains how tornadoes form and how you can make your own in a jar at home.

How do hurricanes form?

Updated: Mar. 31, 2020 at 12:25 PM EDT

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We all know that living along the coast, we need to be concerned about hurricanes. But do you know how and why they form?

How to make a cloud in a jar using hairspray

Updated: Mar. 26, 2020 at 11:56 AM EDT

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Join the First Alert Weather Team every Tuesday and Thursday for a science lesson or experiment.

First Alert Weather Academy: Water Cycle

Updated: Mar. 24, 2020 at 3:59 PM EDT

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Rain, snow, clouds - all forms of weather. Forms of weather that impact us every day and all form through a lot of the same processes: the water cycle.