Severe weather spotters? class set

With spring and its severe weather around the corner, it is time for the biennial National Weather Service?s Severe Weather Spotter Course.

The free course for the general public and first responders will be 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds Activity Building.

This year?s course will include topics on cloud formations, spotting techniques, tornado development, early detection and much more.

Individuals are encouraged to know how to protect themselves and their families from severe weather and learn what to look for when there is the potential for thunderstorms, straight-line winds or tornadoes moving into the area according to Mike Simons, coordinator of Jefferson County Emergency Management.

Donna Dubberke, warning coordination meteorologist of the National Weather Service, is scheduled to present the program in order to share with attendees how to identify dangerous weather and what it takes to become a weather spotter.

Also included on the agenda will be information on personal protection procedures when storm spotting and also the what, when, how and to whom to report observations.

Once individuals complete the training, they are eligible, but not required to register with the National Weather Service as a weather spotter. The National Weather Service recommends all spotters complete this course at least once every other year.

Anyone who has an interest in the weather is encouraged to attend, especially those individuals who work outside as part of their job, coach an outdoor sports team or provide security for a facility.

No pre-registration is required. The course is recommended for individuals as young as 10 years of all age and up.

The National Weather Service has a number of devices for detecting severe weather and a variety of ways to provide the public watches and warnings, but one of the most essential is the local weather spotter. It is critical the weather service receives timely and accurate information from the area so it can provide as much lead time to the public as possible to allow individuals to take the appropriate safety precautions related to the warning. Individuals who are watchful of the weather and know who to call and what to report are this vital link and are extremely important to the community.

For more information about the course, call Simons at 472-3054 or 472-4146.