Storm chasing education resources
NEW: GWC Trainings!
GET TRAINED TO CHASE!
We now offer a variety of affordable video-based trainings, including Spring Training, a daylong, fully virtual storm chasing intensive offered on an annual basis.
Current offerings:
SPRING TRAINING 2025 (Package of 7 videos)
SPRING TRAINING 2024 (Package of 7 videos)
SPRING TRAINING 2023 (Package of 6 videos)
STORM CHASING & PHOTOGRAPHY 101 (1.5-hour webinar)
And, check out these free resources specifically developed by and for Girls Who Chase:
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Listen to our "Chasing 101" series with Raychel Sanner of Tornado Titans on the Girls Who Chase podcast (available on Apple & Spotify) for an overview of some of the basics, including how to get started, packing & planning, logistics, safety in the field, and how to be a good chase neighbor
Watch our 2024 panel on how to get started in the world of weather!
Below, we've aggregated free or cheap educational resources about storm chasing in the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia - and forecasting for adults and young adults, divided by age range. If you'd like us to speak at an event or are looking for an expert in a certain area, please contact us directly.
Learn to chase - ages 18+
U.S.-specific storm anatomy, positioning, general info about chasing:
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Your local National Weather Service office will host free annual storm spotting classes, which is a GREAT place to start to build your foundation learning about how storms work
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SKYWARN Spotter Training - baseline spotter training from COMET MetEd covering procedures & safety
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National Weather Service storm spotter weather glossary
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Books (not free):
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Storm Chasing Handbook - Tim Vasquez
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Veteran chaser Skip Talbot provides videos on storm spotting and positioning on his YouTube Channel, in his educational playlist
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Titan U offers comprehensive and digestible videos on chasing and storm anatomy, including case studies
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Download (not free) and play with the radar app of your choosing - the two most commonly used are:
Storm anatomy, positioning, and general info about chasing outside the U.S.:
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The Australian Storm Spotter's Guide is great for the basics on spotting in Australia
Learn to forecast - ages 18+
Learn about the ingredients of severe weather, how and where to identify them, and how to piece together the forecasting puzzle:
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Titan U offers many great digestible videos on the elements of severe weather and forecasting
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Trey Greenwood breaks down forecasts before severe weather events in an accessible and understandable way on YouTube under Convective Chronicles
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National Weather Service "JetStream" weather education content
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Forecasting classes:
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COMET's MetEd Trainings - hundreds of free modules covering weather and forecasting
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Backyard Meteorology - a free, 6-week training from Harvard University on the science behind weather forecasting
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Books (not free):
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Severe Storm Forecasting (2015 ed.) - Tim Vasquez
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Weather Analysis & Forecasting (2021 ed.) - Tim Vasquez
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Under the whirlwind: Everything you need to know about tornadoes but didn't know who to ask - Jerrine & Arjen Verkaik
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Read the daily convective outlooks from the NWS Storm Prediction Center and familiarize yourself with the language and terminology they use
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Learn how to use forecast models on the two most widely used model aggregators:
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Learning to read soundings & info about hodographs:
Additional forecasting and weather resources for chasing outside the U.S.:
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A Weather Moment Canadian weather model viewer and significant weather bulletins page
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ECCC Thunderstorm Outlooks from Storm Prediction Centres Edmonton/Winnipeg, Canada
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Northern Tornadoes Project for information about tornadoes in Canada
Weather education resources - ages ~10-17
Here is a list of resources for teachers and parents to share weather and weather science with kids and teens (we will continue to add things as we find them):