Become a Trained SKYWARN Weather Spotter with NWS Phoenix – Free Virtual Classes in June 2025

Staff Reporter | iSkyNews.com (ISC News)

Published June 7th, 2025

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Arizona — The National Weather Service (NWS) in Phoenix is calling on community members across south-central and southwest Arizona, as well as far southeast California, to join its SKYWARN® Storm Spotter Program—a nationwide initiative that trains volunteers to become the eyes and ears of meteorologists during severe weather events.

Despite cutting-edge radar and satellite technology, meteorologists still rely heavily on “ground truth”—real-time, human-reported observations from trained spotters—to verify and assess hazardous weather. These critical observations help the NWS issue more accurate and timely warnings to protect the public.

📡 Who Can Be a Spotter?

SKYWARN spotters come from all walks of life, including:

• First responders (firefighters, police officers)
• Volunteer organizations
• Amateur radio operators
• Weather enthusiasts

Participants must be at least 18 years old (exceptions may be made with prior approval).

🌩️ What Spotters Report

Spotters are trained to recognize and report severe weather events such as:

• Tornadoes and funnel clouds
• Hail and heavy rainfall
• Flash flooding and low visibility due to dust or fog
• Storm-related damage (trees down, roof damage)
• Snowfall and lightning-caused structure fires

Reports should include who is reporting, what was observed, where, and when.

🖥️ Virtual Training Opportunities

The Phoenix NWS Office is offering free virtual classes to train new and returning spotters:

• Monday, June 9, 2025 | 6:00 – 8:00 PM MST/PDT
• 📍 Online | ⏰ 2 hours
• 🔗 Register here

Attendees will learn about:

• Thunderstorm development and monsoon hazards
• Identifying dangerous cloud features
• Best practices for submitting weather reports
• NWS services and safety tools

📢 Why It Matters

“Spotters play an essential role in public safety,” said a spokesperson for NWS Phoenix. “Especially in rural areas where radar coverage is limited, trained eyes on the ground can make the difference in protecting life and property.”

NWS urges residents in counties including Maricopa, Pinal, Gila, Yuma, La Paz, and Imperial (CA) to participate—particularly in underserved rural regions.

For questions, call the Phoenix Forecast Office at 602-275-7418 (Mon–Fri, 7 AM–3 PM MST) to speak with an operational meteorologist.

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Become a SKYWARN Spotter—Help Keep Your Community Weather Ready!
For more information visit: https://www.weather.gov/psr/skywarn.html

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