National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Storm Spotter Training 2025

 

We will begin scheduling training across eastern Oklahoma and northwestern Arkansas for the 2025 spring season in mid to late December, and sessions will be posted to this page as they are scheduled.

 

Throughout eastern Oklahoma and northwestern Arkansas, trained and dedicated individuals monitor the skies around their communities during severe weather events. These storm spotters provide first-hand severe weather reports to their local officials, and to the National Weather Service in Tulsa, which are used to make critical warning decisions.
 
Being a storm spotter not only means dedication but also training. Each winter and spring the Tulsa office of the National Weather Service trains members of police & fire departments, emergency management officials, and amateur radio operators on spotting techniques. Typically, the training is coordinated by a local group (such as an emergency management agency) and a NWS meteorologist serves as the guest instructor. The goal of the training is not just to recognize tornadoes, but to have some understanding of storm structure, which in turn better prepares the spotter for the extreme and unusual circumstances. Other topics covered include an update on the latest NWS technology and procedures, ideas for organizing/coordinating spotter groups, severe weather reporting, and important safety considerations.
 
The training is free, and all the classes listed below are open to the public, and are conducted in-person at the specified hosting site.  No pre-registration is required.  Virtual training sessions will be scheduled toward the end of the season to ensure available dates for requested in-person training. The virtual training sessions (when scheduled) will require a preregistration.  Choose the virtual session that you'd like to attend, click the registration link associated with that date's session (when available), and complete the information requested to register.
 
 
Contact WCM Ed Calianese for any questions.
 

 

January 2025
Day Date County City Time Location/Notes
Sunday 19        
Monday 20        
Tuesday 21        
Wednesday 22        
Thursday 23        
Friday 24        
Saturday 25        
Sunday 26        
Monday 27        
Tuesday  28 Okfuskee Okemah 700 pm Okfuskee County Fair Barn
Wednesday 29        
Thursday 30        
Friday 31        
           

 

 

February 2025
Day Date County City Time Location/Notes
Saturday 1        
Sunday 2        
Monday 3 Delaware Jay 630 pm EOC, 432 South 9th
Tuesday 4 Rogers Claremore 630 pm Rogers County Courthouse
Wednesday 5        
Thursday 6        
Friday 7        
Saturday 8        
Sunday 9        
Monday 10        
Tuesday 11        
Wednesday 12        
Thursday 13 Nowata Delaware 630 pm Delaware Community Center
Friday 14        
Saturday 15 Tulsa Owasso 900 am Old Central Building, 212 N Birch St.
Sunday 16        
Monday 17        
Tuesday 18 Choctaw Hugo 630 pm Kiamichi Technology Center
Wednesday 19 Craig Vinita 630 pm Community Center/Fairgrounds
Thursday 20 Latimer Wilburton 630 pm Jennifer Woods Community Center
Friday 21        
Saturday 22

Washington 

Okmulgee

Bartlesville

Okmulgee

900 am

900 am

TBD

Green Country Technology Center

Sunday 23        
Monday 24        
Tuesday 25 Washington AR Fayetteville 600 pm Washington County Sheriff's Office, East Annex
Wednesday 26        
Thursday  27 Franklin TBD 630 pm TBD
Friday 28        
           

 

March 2025
Day Date County City Time Location/Notes
Saturday 1        
Sunday 2         
Monday 3        
Tuesday 4        
Wednesday 5        
Thursday 6        
Friday 7        
Saturday 8        
Sunday 9        
Monday 10        
Tuesday 11 Cherokee Tahlequah 630 pm Emergency Operations Center
Wednesday 12        
Thursday 13        
Friday 14        
Saturday 15 Tulsa Tulsa 900 am OSU Tulsa Auditorium
Sunday 16        
Monday 17        
Tuesday 18        
Wednesday 19        
Thursday  20        
Friday 21        
Saturday 22        
Sunday 23        
Monday 24        
Tuesday 25        
Wednesday 26        
Thursday 27        
Friday 28        
Saturday 29        
Sunday  30        
Monday  31        

 

April 2025
Day Date County City Time Location/Notes
Tuesday 1        
Wednesday 2         
Thursday 3        
Friday 4        
Saturday 5        
Sunday 6        
Monday  7