DAVENPORT, Iowa — Severe weather season is just around the corner and meteorologists with the National Weather Service office in the Quad Cities announced the return of in-person Skywarn spotter training classes for the spring of 2022.
Trained Skywarn spotters are a critical component in the field whenever dangerous storms approach. Spotters are trained on what to report to the National Weather Service, along with best safety practices when spotting. Oftentimes, these spotters are the ground truth to what Doppler radar may be showing, relaying important information back to meteorologists at the National Weather Service, which then issues alerts, such as severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings.
These sessions are a great way to either get your feet wet with basic severe thunderstorm and tornado knowledge or brush up on your storm spotting skills. A lot of pictures and videos are used during the session and oftentimes there is new content to review each year.
Classes are led by meteorologists from our local office here in the Quad Cities and last about two hours. They are free and open to the public. Children age 10 and older will get the most out of the training. Registration is required for the in-person session at the Moline Public Library and all virtual sessions.
In order to be listed as a certified storm spotter, attendance at an in-person session is required.
Below is a list of scheduled in-person training sessions that are being held throughout the Quad Cities region. A sign-in sheet will be provided at each individual session. More classes will likely be added in the next several weeks, so, check back often!
Monday, March 14, 2022
6:30-8:30 p.m.
Carthage, Illinois
The Legacy Theater - 1160 Buchanan St.
Monday, March 21, 2022
6-8 p.m.
Burlington, Iowa
Burlington Capitol Theater - 211 North 3rd St.
Tuesday, March 22, 2022
6:30-8:30 p.m.
Roseville, Illinois
Roseville Fire Department - 135 South Chamberlain St.
Tuesday, March 29, 2022
6:30-8:30 p.m.
Davenport, Iowa
Adventure Christian Church - 6509 Northwest Boulevard
Tuesday, April 5, 2022
5:30-7:30 p.m.
Moline, Illinois
Moline Public Library - 3210 41st St.
Online Spotter Training Course
The National Weather Service also offers a free two-hour online training course for free. You can register for the session, here.
Also, check out Storm Track 8 University, hosted by Meteorologists Morgan Strackbein and Andrew Stutzke to learn even more about everything weather.