News
Weather Service seeks storm spotters
www.gvnews.com
The monsoon season is just around the corner, bringing rain, hail and flood waters to Southern Arizona.
The National Weather Service helps residents protect life and property during such storms by providing forecasts and information, including watches, warnings and advisories.
To help it do so, the weather service is offering free training for those interested in becoming Skywarn weather spotters.
The service explains that it is able to issue flash flood warnings and severe thunderstorm warnings in part due to a process called “ground truth.”
“Ground truth are actual reports of severe weather phoned in to our office as severe weather is unfolding. Such reports include heavy rain, hail, significantly reduced visibility due to blowing dust, closed roads due to flash flooding, or the rare funnel cloud,” according to a press release from the NWS.
“These reports allow us to put the most up-to-date and site specific information in our warnings. Some spotters even send us photos in real time via e-mail.”
Most reports come into the weather service from its Skywarn weather spotters. They learn how to identify severe weather and what to report to the National Weather Service during a free training session that lasts about 90 minutes.
Those interested can receive from the weather service a rain gauge for their backyard to report significant rainfall, as well as a variety of informative weather brochures. You will need to provide the weather service with your location and times of day it may contact you.
Training is free and all ages are welcome. However it is recommended that a parent supervise adolescents who have interest in weather.
These training sessions cover all of eastern Pima County including Green Valley, Sahuarita, Vail, Tucson, Marana and Oro Valley.
Two training sessions are coming up: May 11 at 6:30 p.m., and May 30, at 1 p.m. at the Environment and Natural Resources Building on the University of Arizona campus, 520 N. Park Ave., on the northeastern corner of Sixth Street and North Park. Come to Room 253 on the second floor.
Those interested do not need to register in advance. Call Greg Mollere or Kenneth Drozd at (520) 670-5156 with any questions.
The monsoon season is just around the corner, bringing rain, hail and flood waters to Southern Arizona.
The National Weather Service helps residents protect life and property during such storms by providing forecasts and information, including watches, warnings and advisories.
To help it do so, the weather service is offering free training for those interested in becoming Skywarn weather spotters.
The service explains that it is able to issue flash flood warnings and severe thunderstorm warnings in part due to a process called “ground truth.”
“Ground truth are actual reports of severe weather phoned in to our office as severe weather is unfolding. Such reports include heavy rain, hail, significantly reduced visibility due to blowing dust, closed roads due to flash flooding, or the rare funnel cloud,” according to a press release from the NWS.
“These reports allow us to put the most up-to-date and site specific information in our warnings. Some spotters even send us photos in real time via e-mail.”
Most reports come into the weather service from its Skywarn weather spotters. They learn how to identify severe weather and what to report to the National Weather Service during a free training session that lasts about 90 minutes.
Those interested can receive from the weather service a rain gauge for their backyard to report significant rainfall, as well as a variety of informative weather brochures. You will need to provide the weather service with your location and times of day it may contact you.
Training is free and all ages are welcome. However it is recommended that a parent supervise adolescents who have interest in weather.
These training sessions cover all of eastern Pima County including Green Valley, Sahuarita, Vail, Tucson, Marana and Oro Valley.
Two training sessions are coming up: May 11 at 6:30 p.m., and May 30, at 1 p.m. at the Environment and Natural Resources Building on the University of Arizona campus, 520 N. Park Ave., on the northeastern corner of Sixth Street and North Park. Come to Room 253 on the second floor.
Those interested do not need to register in advance. Call Greg Mollere or Kenneth Drozd at (520) 670-5156 with any questions.
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