Article Summary: The National Weather Service in St. Louis has released its 2026 schedule for severe storm spotter training, including an upcoming in-person session in Litchfield and virtual options for the public.

Storm Spotter Training Key Points:

• The National Weather Service is offering free training to become volunteer storm spotters.

• A local class is scheduled for February 24, 2026, at Lincoln Land Community College in Litchfield.

• Virtual training session is available on April 11.

• Classes cover thunderstorm development, identification, and safety.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in St. Louis has finalized its 2026 Severe Storm Spotter Training Class schedule, offering residents across the region the opportunity to learn how to identify hazardous weather and assist their communities.

The program aims to train volunteers to provide “ground truth” to meteorologists during severe weather events. The classes are free, open to the public with no age limit, and typically last approximately two hours.

According to the schedule, a session will be held locally in Litchfield on Tuesday, February 24, 2026. The class will take place from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Lincoln Land Community College, located at 1 Lincoln Land Drive.

For those unable to attend in person, the NWS is offering a virtual session requiring registration on Saturday, April 11, 2026, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Attendees will learn the basics of thunderstorm development and storm structure, specific features to look for, and how to report information accurately to the NWS. Basic severe weather safety is also covered in the curriculum.

Other regional in-person classes include sessions in Salem on February 25, Alton on March 24, and Sparta on April 7.

Residents interested in the virtual options or viewing the full schedule can find registration links and details at https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/c8094354f42d4f459a486bcb70185196.