Local weather spotters needed
October 22, 2013
The National Weather Service (NWS), is looking for volunteer weather spotters in Boundary County, and they're offering free training from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at South Boundary Fire Station 1, 20 Stagecoach Road, Naples.

Weather spotters are the “eyes and ears” of the National Weather Service and provide valuable, first hand weather reports, which cannot be replaced with machines and technology. These volunteers form the Nation's first line of defense against severe weather.

There can be no finer reward than to know that your efforts help give communities the precious gift of time - seconds and minutes that can help save lives.

Although weather spotters provide essential information for all types of weather hazards, the main responsibility of a spotter is to identify and describe severe local storms.

In the average year, 10,000 severe thunderstorms, 5,000 floods and more than 1,000 tornadoes occur across the United States. These events very often threaten lives and property.

Since the program started in the 1970s, the information provided by weather spotters, coupled with Doppler radar technology, improved satellite and other data, and has enabled NWS to issue more timely and accurate warnings for tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and flash floods.

NWS encourages anyone with an interest in public service and access to communication to participate; private citizens, HAM radio operators, police and fire personnel, dispatchers, EMS workers, public utility workers, etc. Individuals affiliated with hospitals, schools, churches, nursing homes or who have a responsibility for protecting others are also encouraged to become a spotter.

How can you get involved?

Simply attend the training which will cover such topics as: Basics of thunderstorm development, Fundamentals of storm structure, Identifying potential severe weather features, Information to report, How to report information and  Basic severe weather safety.

For more information, please contact Andrew Brown, NWS Spokane, (509) 244-0110, extension 223.

Editor's Note: I apologize for the short notice on this class, but due to the recent government shutdown, it was uncertain whether this class would take place.