Areas of Severe Thunderstorms, Excessive Rainfall, and Extreme Heat Wednesday

In the Upper Midwest, heavy to excessive rain may bring flash and urban flooding through Wednesday. Scattered severe thunderstorms capable of large hail and damaging wind gusts are possible from the central High Plains into the Upper Midwest Wednesday. Extreme heat is ongoing over the Desert Southwest through Thursday. Read More >

2027 Spotter Training Schedule Will Be Posted End of January 2027

Our Local Recorded Version Is Available Below

COMET Interactive Online Class Through Meted.ucar.edu

https://learn.meted.ucar.edu/#/curricula/0302af65-dcad-4841-87a8-77014473fe29

NOTE: You will need to create a MetEd Account to access! Upon completion of this class, our office will be notified and you will be presented with a certificate to download. There is nothing more for you to do once you complete this training. We only ask that you identify yourself as a trained spotter when reporting to our office. We do not issue spotter ID numbers and you do not need to register with our office.

Train at Anytime! Recorded Local Virtual Spotter Training Presentation

In Person Training Schedule

2027 in-person training schedule will be posted by end of January 2027

Local Virtual Training Schedule and Registration

2027 virtual spotter training schedule will be posted by end of January 2027

These sessions will last between 60 to 90 minutes. Attendees will be able to post questions into the questions box on the webinar application. We will do our best to answer as many questions as possible, but may be limited by time constraints. All sessions are the same presentation. This is just to offer the training on multiple dates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I get a spotter ID number? The NWS Office in Kansas City has not issued Spotter ID Numbers since the late 1980s/early 1990s. We do not assign spotter ID numbers.
I completed a spotter training class/presentation. How do I register with NWS Kansas City. We no longer maintain a spotter database, there is no need to register with our office. Thousands of individuals have completed spotter training over the past 40 years and with the advent of the internet and widespread ways of reporting severe weather, it has become difficult and unnecessary to maintain a detailed database of spotters. If you have completed a training class; in person or virtually with our office, another NWS Office, or through MetEd, you are considered trained. When reporting to our office, we kindly ask you identify yourself as a trained spotter.
How do I identify myself when reporting to the NWS? When providing reports via social media or over the phone, we kindly ask you identify yourself as a trained spotter.
I recently moved to the region and I completed spotter training with another office, what do I need to do? You do not need to re-take spotter training from our office. We only encourage you to identify yourself as a trained spotter when you contact our office with a report.

Storm Spotter Resources: weather.gov/skywarn

SKYWARN name and logo are trademarked: SKYWARN® is a registered trademark of NOAA's National Weather Service. Please read the rules for the usage of the SKYWARN® name and logo.

Instructions for printing your Skywarn™ completion certificate online
You should have attended or watched the recorded NWS Skywarn™ Spotter Training class and received a password at the end of the presentation. In the form below, enter your name as you want it to appear on your certificate and the password. Then, click on the Create Certificate button. A certificate with your name, and today's date will appear in the browser. Click on File>Page Setup, delete any characters in the Header and Footer boxes, delete the numbers in each of the 4 margin boxes (the blanks will be replaced by the lowest possible settings), select Landscape, and click OK. Then, click on your browser's print button. If you have recently completed a Skywarn™ course, did not receive a printed certificate, and did not receive a password, please e-mail nws.kansascity@noaa.gov. Include your name and the date of your training.

NOTE: This certificate does NOT "certify" you as trained spotter. It does NOT provide you "official" affiliation with the NWS or NOAA. This certificate does NOT grant you permission to violate traffic laws, enter restricted areas, or trespass on private property.

Your Name

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Supplemental Resources