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Skywarn Class! Now a offical Skywarn Spotter!

Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2004 5:45 pm
by Guest
Went to my Skywarn class last night which was very informative and as well got my spotter number and such.I suggest if you have the time to take advantage of this class taught by the nws in your location. Go to your nws homepage for more info on this!

So now you can see my local reports here and as well at the nws for the Cleveland Region NWS. :D

Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2004 5:58 pm
by cycloneye
Congratulations KOW for being a spotter and now you can share with us any reports from the NWS. :)

Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2004 10:49 pm
by tomboudreau
I went and got recertified last night for NWS Pittsburgh. I also talked to the WCM about becoming a COOP observer for them and he told me to send him an email with my information and he will pass the info along to the person in charge of that. He also mentioned to me that the state Climatologist would most likely like to receive my daily observations that I take for my own person amusement since he thinks not many reports of daily high and low temps are recorded for my area. So, hopefully, I will get some information about the two new tasks.

Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2004 11:11 pm
by mf_dolphin
Congrats Harry and TOM! We'll all look forward to the "official" reports :-)

Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2004 11:47 pm
by ColdFront77
Congratulations, Harry and Tom.

I am interested in this, but then again I am not. I have no way to get there if I really really wanted to go.

I believe I responded to a thread Bron started on this topic... you have to totally understand what they are telling you it is a waste of time going, because you will not become a trained National Weather Service Spotter.

Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2004 12:30 am
by Guest
ColdFront77 wrote:Congratulations, Harry and Tom.

I am interested in this, but then again I am not. I have no way to get there if I really really wanted to go.

I believe I responded to a thread Bron started on this topic... you have to totally understand what they are telling you it is a waste of time going, because you will not become a trained National Weather Service Spotter.


I dont get why it would be a waste of time and why you think you wouldnt be a certified spotter Tom?

Thanks for all the other replies as well everyone. And Tomboudreau Congrats to you and i look forward to seeing your reports as well!

Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2004 12:44 am
by ColdFront77
If you don't understand what is being told to you they will let you become a Certified Storm Spotter; then it would be a "waste of time."

Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2004 1:39 am
by Guest
ColdFront77 wrote:If you don't understand what is being told to you they will let you become a Certified Storm Spotter; then it would be a "waste of time."


Intresting point you make Tom. They do give very good descriptions Tom which i am certain most can understand especially for those of us like ourselves here that are very intrested in Meteorology.
Your basic Job is to report to them any severe weather you see which i am certain you know what qualifies as a severe thunderstorm and such. (even if you dont they give you a few papers to take home that does explain what qualifies as a severe storm and how to report it. And as well you know the difference between a funnel cloud (A low hanging rotating cloud Not touching the ground) and a Tornado (Touches the ground and you will always see some kind of debri from it). And as well if your able to report any kind of flooding and rain amounts from the storm. And whats even better for someone such as yourself who doesnt get out much is you can do this from home. You see the large hail 3/4 of a inch (Dime size) is severe you report it or you see trees down or large branches which they tell you what to look for you report it. Simple as that :) BTW The nws office here prefers if you call them when hail reaches a 1/2 inch (Marble size).


Hopefully someone (A met here perhaps) can address your issue about the lack of testing done for this because you do have a good point there and i certainly wouldnt want someone comming outta there being a spotter who didnt know or understand what was just said to them in that class.

Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2004 1:50 am
by ColdFront77
Sure... but a big issue before even getting to the class is the means of transportation to (even the) nearest location having it.

Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2004 7:54 am
by GalvestonDuck
Congratulations, KOW and tomboudreau! :)

Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2004 1:31 pm
by Stephanie
CONGRATULATIONS KING OF WEATHER!

That's great!

Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2004 2:52 pm
by JCT777
Congrats, Harry and Tom! 8-)

Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2004 3:45 pm
by Lindaloo
Congrats Harry!!! :)

Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2004 4:09 pm
by Stephanie
OOPS! Sorry I missed you there Tom! Congrats as well!

Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2004 5:11 pm
by Cheesy_Poofs
What's the minimum age to becoming a skywarn spotter again? 14?

Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2004 5:34 pm
by tomboudreau
I am not sure what the minimun age is, but I think it might depend on that area's NWS office. Also, when I was the class on Monday night, most of the people that were there were from local fire companies as well as the local police. I think my wife, her mom, and myself were one of the only ones there that were not from a first responders organization. So, I think most of the people that were at the class/meeting were there for a purpose. But that is just my 2 cents that I have.

Tom

Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2004 7:31 pm
by Guest
tomboudreau wrote:I am not sure what the minimun age is, but I think it might depend on that area's NWS office. Also, when I was the class on Monday night, most of the people that were there were from local fire companies as well as the local police. I think my wife, her mom, and myself were one of the only ones there that were not from a first responders organization. So, I think most of the people that were at the class/meeting were there for a purpose. But that is just my 2 cents that I have.

Tom



Pretty much the same here at my class Monday night Tom. And like Tom i am not sure what the minimun age is either. Sorry Cheesy wish i could assist you more. Best thing to do is to check with your areas NWS and see what they say! Good luck!

Thanks for the kind words everyone! :D

Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2004 7:44 pm
by StormCrazyIowan
I don't think there would be any harm in at least attending the class, there were younger people at the one I went to a few years back....

Awesome that you finally made it to a spotter class!! I can't wait for April 20 to roll around! :D

Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2004 9:31 pm
by breeze
Congrats to Harry and Tom!! :)

King, I THINK I know what Tom (Coldfront_77) may
be getting at (correct me if I am wrong, Tom!).

I went to my first Skywarn class in August '03. They
sent me a certification card as "official" with a spotter
ID number, a few weeks afterwards. Now, I
don't have the knowledge of weather as you
do, and, I kinda felt like one class didn't make me
ready to be "official". So, I grabbed another class,
the following October. I STILL think that I should grab
another class, and, I am just waiting for another one,
close to home. Heck, the class is fun, you meet
weather nuts, and, our speaker from the NWS Nashville
office, Jerry Orchanian, is a blast, anyways, so why
not do a few classes? I think what he's saying is,
some of us (and, I'm not down on myself, I just know
that I NEED to know more!) need to know storm
systems better than maybe others do.

Maybe that's what Tom was getting at? :wink:

Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2004 9:38 pm
by Guest
breeze wrote:Congrats to Harry and Tom!! :)

King, I THINK I know what Tom (Coldfront_77) may
be getting at (correct me if I am wrong, Tom!).

I went to my first Skywarn class in August '03. They
sent me a certification card as "official" with a spotter
ID number, a few weeks afterwards. Now, I
don't have the knowledge of weather as you
do, and, I kinda felt like one class didn't make me
ready to be "official". So, I grabbed another class,
the following October. I STILL think that I should grab
another class, and, I am just waiting for another one,
close to home. Heck, the class is fun, you meet
weather nuts, and, our speaker from the NWS Nashville
office, Jerry Orchanian, is a blast, anyways, so why
not do a few classes? I think what he's saying is,
some of us (and, I'm not down on myself, I just know
that I NEED to know more!) need to know storm
systems better than maybe others do.

Maybe that's what Tom was getting at? :wink:


Good point Breeze and very well said. :D Thanks.

Yep it was a fun class if i say so myself for alot of the same reasons you just stated! I will definetly be going to more as it was nice to meet others from around my area here with the same intrest as i have.

And yes keep going to them classes untill you are sure and as well if you need any added info i am a pm away :)