NWS Sioux Falls Offering Spring Storm Spotter Training

Free public sessions aim to teach severe weather identification and reporting

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

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The National Weather Service in Sioux Falls, South Dakota is once again offering free Skywarn Severe Weather Spotter Training sessions this spring. The in-person classes will be held in Milford and Sheldon, Iowa, with additional online sessions scheduled as well. These training events are open to the public and aim to teach attendees how to safely identify and report severe weather.

Why it matters

Severe weather awareness and preparedness are crucial for communities in the Midwest, which can experience a range of dangerous storms including tornadoes, hail, and high winds. The Skywarn program trains volunteer weather spotters to supplement the NWS's monitoring efforts, providing on-the-ground observations that can improve severe weather forecasting and emergency response.

The details

The in-person Skywarn training sessions will be held on March 26th in Milford and March 30th in Sheldon, both starting at 7 p.m. Online sessions are scheduled for April 2nd at 1 p.m. and April 21st at 6 p.m. The training is free and open to the public, covering topics like cloud types, storm structure, and how to safely report severe weather to the NWS.

  • The Milford session will be held on Thursday, March 26th at 7 p.m.
  • The Sheldon session will be held on Monday, March 30th at 7 p.m.
  • The first online session will be on Thursday, April 2nd at 1 p.m.
  • The second online session will be on Tuesday, April 21st at 6 p.m.
  • Severe Weather Awareness Week in Iowa is March 23rd through 27th

The players

National Weather Service Sioux Falls

The regional office of the National Weather Service that serves southeast South Dakota, northwest Iowa, and southwest Minnesota.

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The takeaway

The Skywarn storm spotter training offered by the National Weather Service is a valuable resource for Midwest communities to improve severe weather preparedness and response. By training volunteer spotters, the NWS can gather more real-time data to enhance forecasting and help keep residents safe during dangerous storms.