Severe Weather Spotter Training Set for Kaycee

The National Weather Service in Riverton is seeking people interested in learning about identifying and reporting important thunderstorm characteristics during the active summer season.

NWS meteorologists will present a free Severe Weather Spotter training class to certify weather spotters in Kaycee and the surrounding area.  The two-hour long training class will take place at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, April 17 at the Harold Jarrard Park meeting room.  A separate class on rain and snow reporting will follow the severe weather spotter class.  Both presentations are hosted by the Powder River Conservation District. 

The training session is complete with videos and digital images of local thunderstorms that assist volunteers in correctly identifying important storm features.  The course also teaches how various severe weather phenomena develop, proper safety actions, and reporting procedures.  All course materials are provided and completion cards will be given to all volunteers.  People who are currently weather spotters are encouraged to attend this session as a refresher.

“Each season, volunteer spotter reports of hail, cloud formations, and damage pay dividends,” said Chris Jones, warning coordination meteorologist at the Riverton NWS office.  “We are able to compare what we are seeing on radar with what the spotter is observing from their location.  This allows us to be more accurate and provide enhanced, detailed information to the public.  The volunteers are an important part of our warning operations team.”

Additional information on storm spotting is available on the local National Weather Service website at http://www.weather.gov/riverton or by calling the Riverton office toll-free at 1-800-211-1448.