Summary: “Waiting until storms are on your doorstep is not the time to start thinking about severe weather preparedness. By participating in this training session, you will gain a better understanding of Texas’ severe weather threats." Forecasters from the National Weather Service in Fort Worth conduct storm spotter training sessions each year, in February and March, to help prepare spotters for the upcoming severe weather season. Learn how to read the sky.
Latest Update: Saturday, 22 October, 2022
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NOAA > National Weather Service > SKYWARN Storm Spotter Program
Forecasters from the National Weather Service in Fort Worth conduct storm spotter training sessions each year to help prepare spotters for the upcoming severe weather season. The NWS conducts the training in partnership with local emergency management officials who, in most cases are responsible for maintaining their local storm spotter network.
The training sessions are typically about two hours long and cover fundamental information that every spotter needs to know, with a focus on safety, identification of key weather features, and proper reporting procedures. This year’s program will feature an in-depth review and study of the various threats posed by severe thunderstorms
"Who is eligible and how do I get started? NWS encourages anyone with an interest in public service to join the SKYWARN® program. Volunteers include police and fire personnel, dispatchers, EMS workers, public utility workers and other concerned private citizens. Individuals affiliated with hospitals, schools, churches and nursing homes or who have a responsibility for protecting others are encouraged to become a spotter. Ready to learn more? Find a class in your area. Training is free and typically lasts about 2 hours. You'll 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
Online and local in person classes
While there is no in-person National Weather Service SKYWARN Spotter Training Program in Parker County, there is one in Stephens County one in Jack County and another dozen more around end DFW area. "All spotters or interested spotters are welcome to attend ANY in-person class (regardless of the county), or can register for an online class. SKYWARN certificates are good for 2 years. All classes are free and open to the public."
Date: 16 February 2023, Thursday
Time: 6:00 PM
Location: Jacksboro Fire Dept
112 West Belknap
Jacksboro, TX 76458
Jack County is about 50 miles north of Willow Park
Date: Wednesday, 01 March 2023
Time: 6:30 PM
Location: TSTC Breckenridge
307 N Breckenridge Ave
Breckenridge, TX 76424
Stephens County is about 90 miles west of Willow Park.
"For virtual classes, registering in advance for the class is preferred but you can also join at the start time."
NWS-Skywarn Tues, Feb 21 Virtual 7:00 PM
NWS-Skywarn Sat, Mar 4 Virtual 9:30 AM
NWS-Skywarn Tue, Mar 21 Virtual 7:00 PM
To obtain critical weather information, NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS), part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, established SKYWARN® with partner organizations.
SKYWARN is a volunteer program with nearly 290,000 trained severe weather spotters. These volunteers help keep their local communities safe by providing timely and accurate reports of severe weather to the National Weather Service.
Although SKYWARN spotters provide essential information for all types of weather hazards, the main responsibility of a SKYWARN spotter is to identify and describe severe local storms. Since the program started in the 1970s, the information provided by SKYWARN spotters, coupled with Doppler radar technology, improved satellite and other data, has enabled NWS to issue more timely and accurate warnings for tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and flash floods.
• Article: Storm Spotter training program, Breckenridge Texan, 23 January 2023
The 2023 spring severe weather season is not too far away, and the National Weather Service and local public safety officials want everyone to be ready.
The National Weather Service (NWS) Office out of Fort Worth will conduct a free severe weather training class for Stephens County on Wednesday, March 1, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Texas State Technical College. Officially called the SKYWARN Storm Spotter Class, the program will be held in partnership with Stephens County. There is no cost to attend the class, and no registration is required.
The class is for anyone with an interest in severe weather, established storm spotters, and/or anyone who wants to learn more about the severe weather threats in North and Central Texas and how to be prepared. It is part of the NWS Fort Worth Office’s annual severe weather preparedness campaign. Other classes in the region can be found on the full schedule: https://www.weather.gov/fwd/skywarnmap.
This year’s program will feature an in-depth review and study of the various threats posed by severe thunderstorms. The program will also review thunderstorm characteristics and features associated with severe and non-severe storms. Additionally, the program highlights severe weather safety and how you can report severe weather information to the NWS Fort Worth Office and local public safety officials.
“By participating in this training session, you will gain a better understanding of Texas’ severe weather threats,” says Tom Bradshaw, Meteorologist-in-Charge of the NWS Fort Worth Office. “Waiting until storms are on your doorstep is not the time to start thinking about severe weather preparedness. We hope you attend these free classes to learn more about the severe storms that impact the region every year.”
The National Weather Service Office in Fort Worth provides forecasts, warnings, and weather services for 46 counties in North and Central Texas. For more information, visit the website at https://weather.gov/fortworth or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NWSDallasFortWorth and Twitter at https://twitter.com/NWSFortWorth.
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