Polk County Skywarn Weather Classes 2025

Polk County Emergency Management has announced that it will be conducting the National Weather Service’s Skywarn Weather Spotter class on two dates in 2025. Each of these classes are open to the public.

This in-person class takes approximately two hours to complete, and features presentations, discussions, and videos showcasing local tornado incidents captured by trained spotters in the past. The same course will be held on two dates and at two places: Thursday April 24th at the Village of Dresser Community Hall, and Wednesday
April 30th at the Luck Fire Department. Both classes begin at 6pm. Registration is online using the following
link: https://forms.office.com/g/ACPSTXpkJt

Skywarn Weather Spotters play a vital role in identifying the early signs of severe weather, particularly tornado formation, which may not be readily detected by radar systems. While radar provides critical data about what’s happening up in the atmosphere, such as precipitation and hail, it often falls short in detecting tornadoes as they
form on the ground and are not always visible on radar. The timely reports provided by trained spotters enable the National Weather Service (NWS) to issue life-saving warnings and alerts. The public is more likely to heed a warning when there’s an actual observation of a tornado versus one that is ‘radar indicated’. But we need
trained spotters in our community. Please consider singing up for one of these fun and engaging classes.

For more information about future training programs or how to become involved in community safety initiatives, please contact Lisa McMahon at , or by calling 715-485-9280