SKYWARN - A Weather Hounds Dream

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Every year, the St. Louis County Police Department holds SKYWARN weather training sessions to educate spotters in the St. Louis as a part of the national program started in the 1970's. The program focuses on refreshing and informing hounds about severe weather observation, and reporting.

Some weather hounds believe that we are due for some destructive weather, as St. Louis has a very stormy past when it comes to devastating tornadoes. The most deadly happened a little over a century ago, and some say we should keep our eyes to the sky by reason of that fact.

The 1896 St. Louis-East St. Louis tornado is a historic tornado event that occurred on Wednesday, May 27, 1896, as part of a major tornado outbreak across the Central United States on the 27th, continuing across the Eastern United States on the 28th. One of the deadliest and most destructive tornadoes in U.S. history, this very large, long-track, and violent tornado was the most notable of an outbreak which produced other large, long-track, violent, killer tornadoes. ~Wikipedia

The classes are free and open to the public where you can get certified, in graduated levels on this program.

Thursday, March 19
Jefferson Barracks Park Visitor’s Center,
345 North Road, Jefferson Barracks Park (near the Broadway & Kingston entrance)

Level 1: 9AM-12N
Level 2: 1-4PM

Saturday,  March 21
Eureka Senior High School, 4525 Highway 109

Level 1: 9AM- 12N
Level 2: 1-4PM

Saturday, March 28
Hazelwood East Early Childhood Center Auditorium
12555 Partridge Run (N. of Parker Rd., west of highway 367)

Level 1: 9AM-12N
Level 2: 1-4PM

Saturday, April 4
Crestwood City Hall, 1 Detjen Drive

Level 1: 9AM- 12N
Level 2: 1-4PM

Saturday, April 18
St. Louis Community College, Florissant Valley, 3400 Pershall Rd.

Level 1-: 9AM- 12N
Level 2: 1-4PM
(Registration required for this class only, call 314-513-4444; the class is free)

The St. Louis County Police SKYWARN Program operated and managed by the St. Louis County Police, Office of Emergency Management (OEM), exists to assist the National Weather Service (NWS) and St. Louis County in reporting of severe weather; dissemination of severe weather statements, watches, and warnings; and in the gathering of related storm information.