By: Sharon Aron Baron
For those who love to keep up with weather changes, SKYWARN Storm Spotters is holding its training class beginning April 2, 2022.
Between 350,000 and 400,000 trained citizens are severe weather spotters. These volunteers help keep their local communities safe by providing timely and accurate reports of severe weather to the National Weather Service.
SKYWARN is developed and taught by National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists and consists of trained weather spotters who report observations of significant weather and damage resulting from severe weather.
NWS then sends alerts to the public via television, radio, marine and weather radios, public safety agencies, and other information sources that severe weather is approaching or has been sighted.
Trained local storm spotters assist NWS in verifying tornados, hail, wind damage, and heavy rainfall occurring in the community. The training helps to improve forecasting and warning processes and the tools used to collect weather data.
The virtual class is held on Saturday, April 2, 2022, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., conducted on the GoToMeeting platform. Once the registration is accepted, instructors will email the meeting link and other necessary information.
This class is intended for those interested in public safety and communications and who want to help during extreme weather events. Volunteers include police and fire personnel, dispatchers, EMS workers, public utility workers, and other concerned private citizens. Individuals affiliated with hospitals, schools, churches, and nursing homes or responsible for protecting others are encouraged to become a spotter.
To register, email your full name, address, email address, and cell phone number to Robert Molleda and Carol Sjursen. A week before the class date, those who have registered will be provided the meeting link.
Molleda is with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)/NWS, and Sjursen is with Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service.
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