Severe weather spotter class
Recommended for firefighters, police officers, Public Works employees, parks and recreation staff, volunteers, coaches, teachers, camp personnel, bus drivers, and general public who can assist with monitoring weather conditions.
- Severe weather reporting criteria
- Thunderstorm hazards and safety tips
- Visual indications of updraft strength and organization
- Non-tornadic severe weather events
- Supercell structure and appearance
- Tornado classification
During the past 10 years, tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, and flash floods have killed nearly 2,300 people in the United States and injured thousands of others. To obtain critical weather information, the National Weather Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and cooperating organizations, have established SKYWARN spotter networks. Storm spotter reports, coupled with doppler radar, satellite, and other data, have enabled the National Weather Service to issue more timely and accurate warnings for tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, and flash floods.
"There can be no finer reward than to know that your efforts have given a community the precious gift of time ... seconds and minutes that can save lives" -- John E. Jones, Jr., Deputy Assistant Administrator for Weather Services, Basic Spotters' Field Guide
Please RSVP to Ryan Muscavitch by phone at 847-843-4830, or by email at ryan.muscavitch@hoffmanestates.org. We can accommodate approximately 100 people per session.
