National Weather Service Trains Storm Spotters For Severe Weather

The National Weather Service has kicked off another season of training for Storm Spotters. A session Saturday in Bartlesville had more than 50 people attending.

The sessions are targeted at professionals who report to first responders, such as Washington County Emergency Management, but the public is welcome to attend.

The three hours sessions are held in person and there is an online option.

“Severe weather reports from spotters, even the public at times, is very, very important to us,” said Ed Calianese, the Warning Coordination Meteorologist in the Tulsa National Weather Service office. “We always need that ground truth information coming from people observing the storms who are educated on what they're seeing in the clouds, and can report those visual clues to us. Radar doesn't see the clouds, that's the first thing, the spotters see the clouds, the radar operator is seeing the rain and hail falling out of the cloud.”

The sessions go over what to look for and how to stay safe around a storm and how to make reports to the weather service as well as local officials.

Click here for more information on Storm Spotters training.