WFO Tulsa Spotter Training

Storm Spotter Training 2023

We will be scheduling both in-person and virtual training sessions this spring, and classes will be posted in the calendar below 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. The virtual training will require a preregistration. Choose the session that you'd like to attend, click the registration link, and complete the information requested to register. The in-person classes require no preregistration.

Contact WCM Ed Calianese for any questions.

February 2023
Day	Date	County	City	Time	Location/Notes
Wednesday	1
Thursday	2
Friday	3
Saturday	4
Sunday	5
Monday	6
Tuesday	7	Craig	Vinita	630 pm	Community Center/Fairgrounds
Wednesday	8
Thursday	9	Franklin	Ozark	630 pm	Arkansas Tech Ozark Campus Collegiate Center
Friday	10
Saturday	11
Sunday	12
Monday	13	Okmulgee	Okmulgee	700 pm	Creek Nation Mound Building
Tuesday	14
Wednesday	15
Thursday	16	Ottawa	Miami	630 pm	Civic Center
Friday	17
Saturday	18	McIntosh	Eufaula	900 am	Texanna Fire Station 1
Sunday	19
Monday	20
Tuesday	21	Mayes	TBD	TBD	TBD
Wednesday	22
Thursday	23	Okfuskee	Okemah	700 pm	Okemah Fire Station
Friday	24
Saturday	25	Washington	Bartlesville	900 am	TBD
Sunday	26
Monday	27
Tuesday	28

March 2023
Day	Date	County	City	Time	Location/Notes
Wednesday	1
Thursday	2
Friday	3
Saturday	4
Sunday	5
Monday	6
Tuesday	7	Crawford	Van Buren	TBD	EOC, 1820 Chestnut Street
Wednesday	8
Thursday	9	Muskogee	Muskogee	TBD	Civic Center
Friday	10
Saturday	11	Tulsa	Tulsa	900 am	OSU Tulsa, Auditorium
Sunday	12
Monday	13
Tuesday	14	Sebastian	Fort Smith	600 pm	Ben Geren Storm Shelter
Wednesday	15
Thursday	16	Sequoyah	Sallisaw	630 pm	EOC, 108 E Chickasaw
Friday	17
Saturday	18
Sunday	19
Monday	20
Tuesday	21
Wednesday	22	Benton	TBD	630 pm	TBD
Thursday	23
Friday	24
Saturday	25
Sunday	26
Monday	27
Tuesday	28
Wednesday	29
Thursday	30
Friday	31

April 2023
Day	Date	County	City	Time	Location/Notes
Saturday	1
Sunday	2
Monday	3	Delaware	Kansas	600 pm	Northeast Tech Center
Tuesday	4
Wednesday	5
Thursday	6
Friday	7