How to become a volunteer weather watcher for the weather service
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Being a volunteer weather observer helps the National Weather Service office with sourcing critical weather information. Public reports are often the NWS’s most valuable details for warning decisions.
Just as important is the training private citizens need to supply the NWS with this important information. That’s where SKYWARN comes in.
SKYWAN is a program conducted by the Austin/San Antonio Weather Forecast Office each spring. Local officials from the office drive all across Central Texas (all 33 counties) holding seminars designed to give attendees a closer look at how to report weather events.
KXAN Meteorologist Rich Segal spoke with Troy Kimmel about the upcoming session in Austin. Kimmel is a former local television meteorologist and retired University of Texas professor who, for several years, conducted these training sessions. The training is now done by Warning Coordination Meteorologist Paul Yura.
Yura will be teaching both basic and advanced training.
Basic SKYWARN is a program providing an overview of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes, including how they form, their hazards and their structures. Attendees will learn how to measure hail before submitting a report to the NWS office. This session goes into detail about remaining safe during severe weather outbreaks.
It’s essential that reports to the NWS be accurate. Real-time reports to the office can save lives and property.
The Basic SKYWARN lasts about one-and-a-half hours.
Advanced SKYWARN takes a look at weather models, a more in-depth review of the ingredients that make up tornadoes and severe thunderstorms, and an overview of the radar and its products. The advanced program caters to those who want to learn more.
The Austin session is on Saturday, March 1, 2025, from 8:30 a.m. to noon. It will be held at St. Edwards University in Jones Auditorium in the Ragsdale Campus Center.
Parking is free but you must register and use the parking link below. The code you will need is WARN.
If you can’t make the Austin session there are still many opportunities in other cities for training.
