NWS Pueblo, CO - Spotters Page

Information on becoming a weather spotter for WFO Pueblo

If you are interested in becoming a VOLUNTEER weather spotter for WFO Pueblo, and live in south central and southeast Colorado, we would be interested in talking with you. The National Weather Service in Pueblo has over 1000 volunteer weather spotters across south central and southeast Colorado. Over 500 are within the City of Colorado Springs. We strongly encourage volunteers outside of the larger metropolitan areas, such as rural areas, remote mountain locations, the San Luis Valley, and Chaffee and Lake Counties.

During the cold season, a volunteer weather spotter's role is generally to relay snowfall amounts, freezing precipitation occurrences, high wind events, blowing dust reports, and dense fog reports. Little training is required to relay this information; a ruler or yardstick and a good pair of eyes.

During the warm season it can get a bit more involved. Between 80 and 90 percent of the thunderstorms for which we issue Severe Thunderstorm Warnings have large hail and heavy rain ONLY. Your tools to report back to us would be an inexpensive rain gauge (highly recommended, but not necessary), and a device to measure hail diameter (ruler, calipers, or our custom hail card). When thunderstorms develop into high wind producers and even tornadoes, specific training is necessary to report these events to WFO Pueblo. There are specific cloud structures and other clues around thunderstorms that indicate high winds and development of tornadoes. If you are interested in reporting this type of information to us, it is highly recommended that you take the on-line NWS SKYWARN Spotter Training, or attend, in person, a SKYWARN Spotter Training Session in your area.

The on-line training is basic, so is intended for those new to spotter training. However, seasoned spotters are welcome to take the on-line training to review their spotter skills. The gallery of storm structure photos is especially helpful. Here is the link to get started right now with the on-line SKYWARN Spotter Training.

If you choose not to take spotter training, you can still be a spotter for us by reporting snow amounts, freezing precipitation, high wind events, dense fog, blowing dust, hail diameter, and rainfall amounts. Your level of participation is up to you!

Please contact us using the email nws.pueblo@noaa.gov for further information on becoming a VOLUNTEER weather spotter for WFO Pueblo.

You may also request the SKYWARN information by phone at (719) 948-3371 (Pueblo), (844) 202-1573 (Colorado Springs), or (719) 589-3232 (Alamosa). We will contact you, and send you a packet of information to get you started.

If you have taken SKYWARN Spotter Training, either on-line or in person in your area, below is some information discussed...

Weather Spotters Guide (26MB download)

Other NWS informational and safety brochures

Sign up for Spotter Network (one option for reporting on-line to WFO Pueblo. You MUST take a training course and pass the exam in order to be allowed to submit spotter reports)

Sign up for CoCoRaHS (another option for reporting on-line. You will join a nationwide network of volunteer precipitation reporters)

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