As winter winds down across south central Nebraska and north central Kansas, forecasters say now is the time to prepare for the return of severe weather season.
The National Weather Service office in Hastings has partnered with local emergency management officials to host a series of storm spotter training sessions throughout March and April. The free presentations are open to the public and typically last between 60 and 90 minutes.
Meteorologists from the Hastings forecast office will cover a wide range of topics related to storm spotting, severe weather safety and preparedness. This year’s program will include a closer look at the science behind microbursts, using a local 2025 event as a case study. Forecasters will also address what they call a growing concern: fake weather reports and storm images generated using Artificial Intelligence. Officials say accurate, reliable public reports are critical during severe weather events, and the training will offer tips on how to determine whether a photo is authentic or AI-generated.
The 2026 schedule includes stops in dozens of communities across the region. Sessions begin March 4 in Aurora at the Hamilton County Fire Station, followed by programs in Hebron and York on March 5. Kansas presentations include Beloit and Mankato on March 9, Plainville on March 11 and Smith Center on March 30.
Additional Nebraska stops include Holdrege, Superior, Loup City, Elwood, St. Paul, Scotia, Campbell, Alma, Genoa, Arapahoe, Ord, Grand Island, Clay Center, Phillipsburg, Pleasanton, Hastings, Red Cloud, Osceola, Minden and Cozad.
No talks are scheduled this year in Merrick, Osborne or Fillmore counties.
The Hastings forecast office serves 24 counties in south central Nebraska and six counties in north central Kansas, providing weather data, forecasts and warnings. Officials note that presentations may be postponed or canceled if severe weather develops.
A full schedule and additional information are available on the National Weather Service Hastings website.
| Date | State | County | City | Location |
| March 4 | NE | Hamilton | Aurora **7:00 PM start** | Fire Station 906 13th Street |
| March 5 | NE | Thayer | Hebron | Thayer County Courthouse (Courtroom) 225 North 4th Street |
| March 5 | NE | York | York | York County Fairgrounds Cornerstone Ag/Event Center 2400 North Lincoln Avenue |
| March 9 | KS | Mitchell | Beloit | Fort Hays State Tech North Central 3033 US Highway 24 |
| March 9 | KS | Jewell | Mankato | Senior Center 214 North High Street |
| March 10 | NE | Phelps | Holdrege | Law Enforcement Center 813 5th Avenue |
| March 11 | KS | Rooks | Plainville | Fire Station 416 W Mill Street |
| March 12 | NE | Nuckolls | Superior | Superior Fire Station 154 West 5th Street |
| March 16 | NE | Sherman | Loup City | Fire Station 134 South 8th Street |
| March 17 | NE | Gosper | Elwood | Elwood Fire Station 507 Ripley Street |
| March 17 | NE | Howard | St. Paul | St. Paul Fire Station 1022 4th Street |
| March 18 | NE | Greeley | Scotia | Scotia Community Building 103 Main Street |
| March 19 | NE | Franklin | Campbell | Fire Station 710 Broad Street |
| March 23 | NE | Harlan | Alma | Johnson Center 509 West Main Street |
| March 23 | NE | Nance | Genoa | Genoa Fire Station 517 Willard Avenue |
| March 24 | NE | Furnas | Arapahoe | Arapahoe Fire Station 604 Locust Street |
| March 24 | NE | Valley | Ord | Ord Fire Station 1628 M Street |
| March 25 | NE | Hall | Grand Island | Grand Island/Hall County Communications Center 1210 N. North Road |
| March 25 | NE | Clay | Clay Center | Clay County Fairgrounds 701 North Martin |
| March 25 | NE | Phillips | Phillipsburg | EMS Training Room 409 E Street |
| March 26 | NE | Buffalo | Pleasanton | Pleasanton Fire Station 911 North Pine Street |
| March 30 | KS | Smith | Smith Center | The Garden Wellness Center 616 Main Street |
| April 1 | NE | Adams | Hastings | Adams County Emergency Management Office 2965 South Baltimore Avenue |
| April 1 | NE | Webster | Red Cloud | Fire Station 137 East 5th Avenue |
| April 6 | NE | Polk | Osceola | Osceola Fire Station 331 South Nance Street |
| April 15 | NE | Kearney | Minden | Minden Fire Station 325 North Colorado Avenue |
| April 15 | NE | Dawson | Cozad | Wilson Public Library 910 Meridian Avenue |
| No Spotter Talks are scheduled in Osborne, Merrick and Fillmore counties this year. | ||||
