Tornado season is approaching in much of Indiana, and field reports are a valuable tool to keep communities safe and prepared.
The National Weather Service offers training courses for Skywarn observers across the state to help Hoosiers better protect their neighbors from severe weather.
What is Skywarn?
Skywarn is a program sponsored by the National Weather Service and made up of thousands of volunteers who attend regular training to learn how to scan the sky and identify and report important storm information.
“The real goal of it is to educate people in the community to prepare for severe weather, know what to look for and when and be able to report what's happening on the ground to local authorities and the National Weather Service,” said Joseph Nield of the NWS.
What you will learn in the training courses
Even with all the technical tools available to meteorologists today, Earth observation is still an invaluable resource, Nield said.
In the training sessions, Hoosiers will learn basic weather information and terminology used about severe weather, what to look for and how to report observations.
The sessions will teach people how to prepare accurate and timely reports that will help nuclear-weapon states make cautionary decisions and help local officials and first responders allocate resources efficiently.
Who can attend the sessions?
Courses are open to the public, but NWS will occasionally create specific training courses for larger companies.
The service offers a few virtual sessions that require registration in advance.
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How to attend Skywarn training sessions
Sessions last about two hours, and most do not require registration. NWS only asks that persons interested in attending attend at the appropriate location and time.
There are some rare instances where the county hosting the training may require registration, and these details can be found on the NWS website.
When and where are the sessions held?
A complete list of sessions and more details for each can be found online at weather.gov/ind/spotter_talks.
Below is the current list of scheduled sessions:
- Saturday, March 2, 9:00 AM – Skywarn Spotter Training – Hamilton County (registration required)
- Monday, March 4, 6:00pm – Virtual Monitoring Training Session (registration required)
- Wednesday, March 6, 6:00pm – Skywarn Spotter Training – Bartholomew County
- Thursday, March 7, 6:00 PM – Skywarn Spotter Training – Marion County ARES
- Friday, March 8, 7:00pm – Skywarn Spotter Training – Monroe County
- Monday, March 11, 7:00pm – NWS Paducah Virtual Monitoring Training (registration required)
- Tuesday, March 12, 6:00 PM – Skywarn Spotter Training – Madison County
- Wednesday, March 13, 7:00pm – NWS Chicago Virtual Observation Session (registration required)
- Thursday, March 14, 6:00 PM – Skywarn Spotter Training – Rush County
- Saturday, March 16, 9am – Skywarn Spotter Training – Owen County
- Monday, March 18, 6:00 PM – Skywarn Spotter Training – Vigo County
- Wednesday, March 20, 2:00 PM – Skywarn Spotter Training – Marion County State Fairgrounds
- Wednesday, March 20, 6:30pm – Skywarn Spotter Training – Putnam County
- Thursday, March 21, 6:00pm – Skywarn Spotter Training – Hancock County
- Saturday, March 23, 3:00 PM – Skywarn Spotter Training – Howard County
- Monday, March 25, 6:00pm – Skywarn Spotter Training – Knox/Davis County
- Tuesday, March 26, 7:30pm – NWS Louisville Virtual Monitoring Training Session (registration required)
- Thursday, March 28, 6:00pm – Skywarn Spotter Training – Henry County
- Monday, April 1, 6:00 PM – Skywarn Spotter Training – Montgomery County
- Tuesday, April 2, 6:30pm – Skywarn Spotter Training – Greene County
- Thursday, April 11, 7:30pm – WFO Louisville Virtual Advanced Watch Training (registration required)
- Wednesday, April 17, 6:00 PM – Skywarn Spotter Training – Boone County
- Tuesday, April 23, 6:00pm – Skywarn Spotter Training – Martin County
- Monday, May 13, 6:00pm – Virtual Monitoring Training Session (registration required)
Carl Schneider is IndyStar's environment reporter. You can contact him at karl.schneider@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @karlstartswithk
IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the non-profit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Foundation.
