The first line of defense!

SKYWARN® storm spotters are part of the ranks of citizens who form the Nation's first line of defense against severe weather.

Well, I missed out on talking about the topic that is near and dear to my heart regarding severe weather. Saturday's topic, and the last in the series covered during Severe Weather Awareness Week in Georgia was Volunteers/Spotters. I am a National Weather Service certified advanced SKYWARN® Spotter. I have trained online through the this link. You can visit the link here to visit the National SKYWARN® site for more information.

How Can I Get Involved?

NWS has 122 local Weather Forecast Offices, each with a Warning Coordination Meteorologist, who is responsible for administering the SKYWARN® program in their local area, and may be contacted through this site: http://www.stormready.noaa.gov/contact.htm

... or you can click on the linked map below to find classroom training information for an area near you.

[T]he information provided by SKYWARN® spotters, coupled with Doppler radar technology, improved satellite and other data, has enabled NWS to issue more timely and accurate warnings for tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and flash floods.

I like to stay current on my training, by attending any nearby training that I can get to... I have attended 4 training classes in person and I am scheduled to attend another this month. I enjoy the classes because I always learn something new. I like to refresh my knowledge, and I am a total weather geek who likes to get together with other weather geeks and talk weather.

What is SKYWARN®?

To obtain critical weather information, NOAA's National Weather Service (NWS), part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, established SKYWARN® with partner organizations. SKYWARN® is a volunteer program with nearly 290,000 trained 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. Although SKYWARN® spotters provide essential information for all types of weather hazards, the main responsibility of a SKYWARN® spotter is to identify and describe severe local storms.

Certainly, now that you know about it, you are wondering who can do it... right?

Who is Eligible?

NWS encourages anyone with an interest in public service and access to communication, such HAM radio, to join the SKYWARN® program. Volunteers include police and fire personnel, dispatchers, EMS workers, public utility workers and other concerned private citizens. Individuals affiliated with hospitals, schools, churches, nursing homes or who have a responsibility for protecting others are also encouraged to become a spotter.

I find training and education about severe weather to be an essential element of storm chasing; otherwise, I am doing nothing but endangering myself and others. As a SKYWARN® Spotter, I am able to use my training and knowledge and apply it to what I am seeing and then inform the National Weather Service, so they can issue appropriate warnings to aid in the protection of life and property. I become part of the eyes for the Weather Service. It's an honor to help and serve in that way by attaching knowledge to my passion and use it to benefit others.

With severe weather in our midst, including a moderate risk for severe weather tomorrow... sounds like spring is in our midst! Check out the forecast...
Today...Tomorrow (with the moderate risk for severe weather)

20-30 KT LOW LEVEL SHEAR AND LARGE CLOCKWISE CURVED LOW LEVEL HODOGRAPHS WILL FAVOR TORNADOES...SOME STRONG.

... and Wednesday (almost includes me!)...

PERHAPS THE RISK FOR TORNADOES...AN APPRECIABLE RISK FOR DAMAGING WIND GUSTS APPEARS TO EXIST WITH AN ANTICIPATED FRONTAL SQUALL LINE WEDNESDAY

Aside from missing the severe weather topic and some severe wind in Texas over the weekend... I had an exciting weekend. My wonderful gtb and his dear daughter as well as Mini-Dew and her father attended a Valentine's Dance for fathers and daughters. I had a ball primping the girls and then doing their prom-like photo shoots for the big night out with their respective daddies. So much fun!Then, there was the birthday celebration for my wonderful gtb's dear son. Yummy homemade cake and a couple of games of bowling... I think I figured out where my shoulder problems came from. I bowled all through high school and college. That's right, I beat them... lol.Have a great day!!!
~Dewdrop