Diversifying the "face" of weather & science
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 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
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Check out our Twitter spaces (@girlswhochase), where we regularly discuss topics useful to chasers of all levels.
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):