It’s common for Midwesterners to hear tornado sirens or receive flash flood alerts … and go outside to watch massive clouds and flashing lightning move across the sky.
Since radar systems can only see so far, the National Weather Service-St. Louis wants to train storm fanatics to be storm spotters — and to share data, in real time, to keep the entire region safe.
NWS-St. Louis meteorologist Matt Beitcher tracks weather patterns across the region. He told St. Louis on the Air that last year's record high temperatures in St. Louis was a precursor for more unusual and severe weather events in 2024. “We’re seeing an increase in what we consider to be extreme precipitation,” Beitcher said. “In the St. Louis region we saw a 35% increase in [that] over the last couple of decades, and that trend is not going to slow down.”
Increased precipitation — be it rain, sleet or snow — or extreme high and low temperatures can catch the most weathered St. Louisan by surprise. Beitcher said our experiences with weather are changing drastically, leaving people in dangerous situations. When storm spotters safely share photos, videos, or any information about a storm system, the National Weather Service has more time to alert the public before they find themselves in trouble. “That’s something we grapple with as meteorologists. It’s not just the weather. It’s the intersection of weather and society. Person to person, region to region, [it] is vastly different.”
Storm spotters are needed across the country as the nation experiences extreme weather changes, but Beitcher said rural areas are particularly vulnerable. In the STLPR listening area, he listed Farmington, Fredericktown, Reynolds, Iron, and Madison counties as well as Quincy as places he’d like to see more storm spotters.
But make no mistake: The National Weather Service is not advocating storm chasing. “We’re not asking you to go look for trouble. That doesn’t end well,” Beitcher warned. “Storm spotting is really just if you happen to be in an area and you see a tornado go through your field or it starts hailing like no other, we need to know about that stuff. That is extremely helpful information so that your neighbors who are going to get that storm in the next 30 minutes can be prepared and take the appropriate action.”
For more information about storm spotting with the National Weather Service-St. Louis, including the fun and informative training sessions to come, listen to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcast, Spotify or Google Podcast, or by clicking the play button below.
Related Event
What: National Weather Service 2024 Storm Spotter Classes
When: Various dates
Where: Online and various locations in eastern Missouri and southern Illinois
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Ulaa Kuziez is our production intern. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr. Send questions and comments about this story to talk@stlpr.org.
