BUFFALO, N.Y. — The National Weather Service in Buffalo will provide spring storm spotter training both at in-person and virtual sessions beginning in late March with the final session in early May.
After attending one of these classes, you will become a registered storm spotter with the National Weather Service and know how you protect your community during weather emergencies.
During a SKYWARN Spring Training session, attendees will learn about the technology meteorologists use in severe weather forecasting and how regionally specific, springtime natural disasters form.
Attendees will also learn what to report and how to report those observations to the NWS. Topics discussed in the spring session include severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, and flash floods. Anyone can become a certified SKYWARN storm spotter through this NWS program. For those interested in participating, registration is required prior to the scheduled class.
Registration is free and each class is expected to last about two hours. Each class is the same, so you only have to register and attend one virtual class. The individual registration forms are linked below.
NWS Buffalo 2023 Spring Storm Spotter Training Schedule for Western New York:
- Wednesday, March 29 at 7 p.m. - Virtual - Register here
- Thursday, April 20 at 7 p.m. - Virtual - Register here
- Tuesday, April 25th at 7 p.m. - In person at the Warren J. Rathke Public Safety Training Facility, 5574 Niagara Street, Lockport NY 14095 - Register here
- Monday, May 1 at 10 a.m. - Virtual - Register here
- Wednesday, May 3 at 7 p.m. - In person at the Hoag Library, 134 South Main St, Albion, NY 14411 - Register here
- Wednesday, May 10 at 6 p.m. - In person at the Frank E. Merriweather, Jr. Branch Library, 1324 Jefferson Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14208 - Register here
- Thursday, May 11 at 7 p.m. - In person at the Cattaraugus County Building, 303 Court St, Little Valley, NY 14755 - Register here
Attendees are encourage to fill out registration forms at least 24 hours prior to the session they'd like to attend. For more information on SKYWARN Spotter Training or if you have any questions, contact Michael Fries (michael.j.fries@noaa.gov) or Jon Hitchcock (jon.hitchcock@noaa.gov).
