Storm Spotter Training

[Oneslowz28]

I am now an official Storm Spotter for NOAA and The National Weather Service. This means If bad weather is headed your way and a warning is issued to your county or area someone like me confirmed the bad weather on the ground.

80% of local news stations offer this training once a year for free and I highly recommend that everyone take a few hours out on a Saturday to take the class. The National Weather Service also offers these courses free of charge to a lot of areas.

The NWS, NOAA, and the local news stations depend on the local storm spotters to relay real time information back to them so they can properly issue warnings and watches. Their radar and weather maps can only tell so much. Weather Spotters are the ones who confirm tornadoes on the ground and report in hail size. We are the ones who report flash flooding and high winds. Radar cannot detect these things which is why the services like NOAA and NWS and Local news stations rely on the on the ground spotters so much.

If you might be interested in storm spotter training I recommend you call your local news station and ask to speak to the head meteorologist and ask him about storm spotter training. You could save a life if not tens to hundreds.

The training just doesn't stop with the first class, there is also an advanced corse you can take through the NWS for free also.

Here is a link for more information. http://www.volunteer.noaa.gov/weather_stormspotter.html

[txcanon]

Congrats, I have always been facinated with weather and want to start photographing storms when I get my DSLR. We get some strong storms here in north Texas but I don't plan on chasing them. :)

[mtnphtgrphr]

That sounds COOL! I'd like to do that.... Hmmmm off to see the link!

[Moppie]

I didn't think Storm Troppers under went any training, it's all implanted genetically at birth.

Congrats on the new job though, just remember, stay clear of the boss when he is having a bad day, and wookies are stronger than they look.

[bbqKing]

I am now an official Storm Spotter for NOAA and The National Weather Service. This means If bad weather is headed your way and a warning is issued to your county or area someone like me confirmed the bad weather on the ground.

80% of local news stations offer this training once a year for free and I highly recommend that everyone take a few hours out on a Saturday to take the class. The National Weather Service also offers these courses free of charge to a lot of areas.

The NWS, NOAA, and the local news stations depend on the local storm spotters to relay real time information back to them so they can properly issue warnings and watches. Their radar and weather maps can only tell so much. Weather Spotters are the ones who confirm tornadoes on the ground and report in hail size. We are the ones who report flash flooding and high winds. Radar cannot detect these things which is why the services like NOAA and NWS and Local news stations rely on the on the ground spotters so much.

If you might be interested in storm spotter training I recommend you call your local news station and ask to speak to the head meteorologist and ask him about storm spotter training. You could save a life if not tens to hundreds.

The training just doesn't stop with the first class, there is also an advanced corse you can take through the NWS for free also.

Here is a link for more information. http://www.volunteer.noaa.gov/weather_stormspotter.html

We are haveing severe storms,,wall clouds and tornadoes right now here and it's going to snow 2 inches tomarrow

[Jayson Prentice]

Most of the classes or training are offered through your local National Weather Service that way they can get your information, etc. A spotter can be very valuable, especially when it comes to tornadoes and potential tornadoes. They also use reports to validate any warnings that were issued, which is also important to the NWS employees and offices.

Glad to hear you went and got the training, now hopefully you can put it too good use if you have some severe weather in your area.

[Woolburr]

That sounds COOL! I'd like to do that.... Hmmmm off to see the link!

Cuevas is seeking fresh minions! :lol:

[mtnphtgrphr]

Cuevas is seeking fresh minions! :lol:

Oooo I could get MY picture on WLOS... be famous... or infamous! ;) :lol::lol::lol::lol::p:p

[Mark_Cohran]

Sounds like a worthy area in which to volunteer. Good luck!

[gymell]

I did the intro storm spotter training when I lived in Iowa, but I'm way too much of a wimp to actually get out there in any kind of severe weather! I do regularly listen to the spotters on my scanner whenever there's a warning and I definitely appreciate them being out there.