Monday, February 16, 2009

2009 Spotter Training schedule

For those of you interested in becoming a trained weather spotter for the National Weather Service, here are the dates and locations for sessions in our area. If you have attended a session before, you're asked to attend at least once every two years.

Feb 19: DeKalb, NIU (Faraday West 200), 7:00pm
Feb 25: Rockford, Chi-Rkfd Airport (Public Safety Bldg), 6:30pm (CoCoRaHS info afterwards)
Mar 4: Lanark, Fire Station, 6:30pm
Mar 9: Galena Territory, Territory Property Owner's Assoc., 6:30pm
Mar 11: Elkhorn, Walworth Co. Health & Human Services Bldg, 1:30pm
Mar 11: Elkhorn, Walworth Co. Health & Human Services Bldg, 6:30pm
Mar 24: Erie, Fire Station, 6:30pm
Mar 25: Dixon, Lee County Public Safety Bldg, 7:00pm
Mar 26: Warren, Fire Station, 6:30pm
Mar 26: Crystal Lake, McHenry Comm. College Auditorium, 7:00pm
Mar 30: Janesville, Rock Co. Health Care Center Auditorium, 1:00pm
Mar 30: Beloit, Fire Survive Alive House, 6:30pm
Mar 31: Monroe, Public Library, 12:30pm
Mar 31: Freeport, Highland Comm. College (Bldg H, Room 201), 1:30pm
Mar 31: Brodhead, Fire Station, 6:30pm
Mar 31: Freeport, Highland Comm. College (Bldg H, Room 201), 7:00pm

Before attending a spotter training session, confirm that it is still on as scheduled. Any changes to spotter training schedules will be at the following websites...
Illinois viewers, check here and here. Wisconsin viewers, check here.

Sessions typically last about two hours. Topics cover what types of information the National Weather Service wants to receive during severe weather, and how to identify important severe weather phenomena. (These are not sessions on how to storm chase; they are sessions on how you can provide important, timely, and accurate severe weather information that will aid in the protection of life and property.)

5 comments:

tony said...

Are we ok to attend every year if we are available to go. I went last year and planned on going again this year.

Justin Gehrts said...

Yup, you can go every year.

WI Weather Buff said...

I go to these every year. Another little tip: you don't have to go in the same state that you live in.

The ones in IL are conducted by the Chicago office of NWS and the ones in Wisconsin are conducted by the Milwaukee office of NWS.

I've seen several of each now, and they're both good. But each NWS team has its own approach to teaching the class. Each uses its own slide show & other AV materials.

So I try to alternate between taking the class in IL one year and in WI the next year. Its interesting to see both.

Take the class in the state where you live first if you want to become a spotter because you need to meet the NWS watch/warn team from your own NWS office first if you're going to be spotting for them.

Justin Gehrts said...

The Quad Cities office covers the ones in Jo Daviess, Stephenson, Carroll, and Whiteside counties.

James said...

Don't Forget also that Wheaton IL has an advanced training every year that I attend. They go over the basic stuff so its like a refresher course, then they go into a lot more detailed things. Its Saturday Feb 14th and its $30 dollars to go $40 if you pay after feb. 27th. its an 8 hr course and lunch is provided. If you want to know more goto

http://dupagesevereweather.com