National Weather Service

NWS Phoenix Weather Spotter Program

Southeast California, Southwest and South Central Arizona

NWS personnel regularly conduct spotter training sessions at remote locations around the Phoenix County Warning Area. Severe weather spotter training for new and existing volunteer spotters will be conducted by the National Weather Service Phoenix Forecast Office at the times and locations shown below.

Free training classes are held periodically that teach people how to properly identify and report significant weather phenomena and contribute to public safety. Even with sophisticated technology like radar and satellites, we still need ground truth information from trained weather spotters throughout the year. You will learn about how thunderstorms work, how to identify cloud features associated with microbursts and tornadoes, visually estimate wind speeds, and how your reports tie in to warnings and advisories issued by the National Weather Service. In addition, you will learn about all of the services available from the National Weather Service. Reservations are not required unless otherwise noted.

2009 Class Schedule
Date	City	County	Address	Time	Other Information
Mon, Jun 1, 2009	Chandler, AZ	Maricopa	Chandler Fire Training Center 3550 S. Dobson (Fire Training Facility)	6:30 pm	Registration required. Sign-up at www.chandlercert.org or call Loretta Warren-Ellis at 480-782-2116 (if leaving a phone message, provide your name including spelling, email address and telephone number).
Tue, Jun 9, 2009	Queen Creek, AZ	Maricopa	Queen Creek Library, Zane Grey room 21802 S. Ellsworth Rd.	6:30 pm	Registration required. Call Jon Spezzacatena at 480-358-3028 or by e-mail (jon.spezz@queencreek.org).
Thu, Jun 11, 2009	Yuma, AZ	Yuma	2404 24th Street	7 pm	No registration required

Completed Classes
Wed, Feb 18	El Centro/Heber, CA
Thu, Feb 26	Peoria, AZ
Wed, Mar 18	Gilbert, AZ
Thu, Mar 19	Avondale, AZ
Mon, March 23, 2009	Paradise Valley, AZ
Wed, Mar 25, 2009	Globe, AZ
Mon, Apr 20, 2009	Tempe, AZ
Tues, May 5, 2009	Surprise, AZ
Wed, May 6, 2009	Tempe/Phoenix, AZ
Wed, May 6, 2009	Glendale, AZ
Thu, May 7, 2009	Surprise, AZ
Sat, May 9, 2009	Mesa, AZ
Wed, May 13, 2009	Casa Grande, AZ
Wed, May 27, 2009	Florence, AZ
Thu, May 28, 2009	Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, AZ
Thu, May 28, 2009	Arizona State University (Tempe), AZ
Sat, May 30, 2009	Globe, AZ

The training classes will prepare the volunteer spotter to identify the development stages of severe thunderstorms, as well as downbursts, desert flash flooding, and tornadoes. The observed information is relayed to the NWS via telephone or amateur radio. The NWS uses the information in severe weather warnings and statements, that ultimately save lives and protect property.

Adult volunteers are community spirited individuals, who understand that they play an essential role in providing storm information to the National Weather Service. Spotters are also hikers, sports and outdoor enthusiasts, and those who routinely work outdoors.

If you have any questions, please contact Ken Waters - 602-275-0073 at the NWS Phoenix Forecast Office.

We especially need new spotters who are year-round residents of the remote areas of our County Warning Area (CWA), which includes Maricopa, Yuma, La Paz, Riverside, Imperial, northwest Pinal, and southern Gila counties!