With spring being a prime time for thunderstorms in Kentucky, you can assist the National Weather Service in Louisville by completing training to become a SKYWARN Spotter.
According to the NWS, SKYWARN is a volunteer program in which trained severe weather spotters help keep their local communities safe by providing timely and accurate reports of severe weather to the NWS. Since the program was introduced in the 1970s, the information provided by spotters combined with improved satellite and radar technology has enabled the NWS to issue more timely and accurate warnings for tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, and flash floods.
The NWS offers free online training sessions with NWS meteorologists for anybody interested in volunteering their time as a spotter. The training sessions typically last one to two hours and contain information on identifying and reporting severe weather, severe weather safety, severe weather climatology, and thunderstorm types and threats.
A schedule of online webinar events, including those being hosted March 24 and 25, is available on the NWS Louisville website. The NWS Louisville office also has introduced a four-part online training program consisting of four modules and quizzes. Upon completion, volunteers will receive a link to register in the spotter database.
Additional online courses and resource information is available after completion of the SKYWARN program to supplement training. Visit the NWS Louisville website for more information.
