National Weather Service Offering Free Weather Spotter Classes

By LORRAINE SWANSON (Patch Staff)

With Illinois’s tornado season underway, volunteer weather spotters are needed to identify and describe severe local storms to the NOAA National Weather Service.

Oak Forest resident Dave Bukowski, a certified trainer for the NWS SKYWARN program, will lead four weather spotting training classes in the coming weeks. Volunteer NWS storm spotters are part of the ranks of citizens who provide the first line of defense against severe weather.

The information provided by trained weather spotters, combined with Doppler radar technology, improved satellite and other data help the NWS issue timely warnings to citizens during severe weather, such as tornadoes, that could mean the matter of life or death.

The NWS encourages anyone with an interest in weather and public service to join the volunteer program. The classes last about two hours and there is plenty of time to ask questions during and after the presentation.

Participants will learn:

• Basics of thunderstorm development
• Fundamentals of storm structure
• Identifying potential severe weather features
• Information to report
• How to report information
• Basic severe weather safety

Weather spotter training sessions will take place at the following dates and times:

• March 31, 6 p.m., Acorn Public Library, Oak Forest. Space is limited. Please RSVP by calling the library at 708.687.3700 and ask to speak with a librarian.

• April 1, 7:15 p.m., hosted by Hamfesters Radio Clubat the Crestwood Community Center, 14025 S. Kostner Ave., Crestwood. Walk-ins welcome. Please RSVP online.

• April 15, 7:15 p.m., Oak Forest City Hall, 15540 S. Central Ave., Oak Forest. Walk-ins welcome. Please RSVP online.
• April 25, 7:30 p.m., hosted by the DuPage Amateur Radio Club at the Church of the Holy Nativity, 55th Street and Richmond Ave., Clarendon Hills. Walk-ins welcome. Please RSVP online.

Participants who complete the basic weather spotter training class will receive a certificate effective for two years. Basic weather spotters are qualified to report severe weather features such as cloud rotation, hail, moisture and wind lift, to the National Weather Service.

Illinois has experienced four odd tornado seasons in a row, the Illinois State Water Survey reported.

While Illinois’ most active period for tornadoes typically lasts from March to June, most of the state’s tornadoes have occurred outside this period. This includes the massive outbreak of storms on Nov. 17, 2013, when an EF-2 tornado ripped through Washington, IL.

If you can’t make one of these dates, visit SKYWARN to find a class near your town.