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National Weather Spotters Training
The National Weather Service has kicked off its storm spotter training. Classes are open to everyone, both to those who are interested in becoming a spotter and those who are already a trained spotter.
According to its website, NWS relies on trained volunteers to supplement Doppler radar information on severe storms and tornadoes. These volunteers put in many hours to learn about and detect severe weather and are important in the warning process. Their reports are used along with Doppler radar data to issue warnings of tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and flash floods.
The spotter training season is primarily in February and March to prepare for severe peak weather season. Classes are free of charge and open to anyone who has an interest in severe weather and/or public service. Their objective is to provide the knowledge to identify and report key severe weather features.
The staple “Spotter Concepts” class is roughly two hours.
NWS noted there are photos and videos of recent violent tornadoes, storm damage, flash floods, hailstorms and downbursts used in the course.
Registration is required to attend the on-site classes and can be completed via a Google form available at weather.gov