SkyWarn Spotter Training Session

May 18, 2010
6:30 pm	to	9:30 pm

On May 18, 2010 from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM, the National Weather Service will be conducting a Skywarn Spotter training session…at the Nelson Safety Complex, behind the Town Barn and Fire Station.

The National Weather Service relies on its network of trained weather spotters to report severe weather.  This is part of a nationwide program called Skywarn. Real-time reports from these Skywarn spotters can be integrated with what is seen on doppler radar to help the National Weather Service issue the most accurate severe weather warnings possible.  We are especially trying to go to more rural areas where we have fewer trained spotters.

The session is open to the public free of charge (your tax dollars already paid for it!).  A very informative and entertaining Powerpoint slide show will be given that shows the cloud features associated with severe thunderstorms and tornadoes…as well as some look-alikes that a non-trained person might think is severe but actually is not.  Examples from New England are stressed, including damage photos from the 1953 Worcester tornado, the 1979 Windsor Locks tornado, the 1986 Providence/Cranston tornado, the 1995 great Barrington tornado, the 1995 Brockton downburst, and more recent tornadoes in Swanzey, Greenfield, and Antrim, NH.  There is also a portion on snow measuring and other winter weather reporting procedures.

The training also stresses what types of phenomena should be reported. Upon completion of the training, identification cards are handed out along with a special phone number for reporting directly to the National Weather Service.