Weather Service to teach spotter training March 30

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Riverton will teach a Severe Weather Spotter training class to increase the number of weather spotters in Hot Springs County. The free, two-hour training class will be at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 30, in the County Annex Building at 117 North Fourth Street.

The course describes how various severe weather phenomena develop, outlines appropriate safety actions and details procedures for identifying and reporting severe weather to the NWS. Videos and digital images from across Wyoming are shown during the training to assist volunteers in correctly identifying important storm features, and all course materials will be given to volunteers. Anyone who is a current weather spotter is encouraged to attend this session as a refresher.

“Our dedicated weather spotters are essential in obtaining reports of severe weather,” said Tim Troutman, warning coordination meteorologist at the Riverton office. “Real-time reports from trained volunteer spotters can improve weather warnings for hail, thunderstorm wind gusts, and tornadoes. These reports help us accurately pin-point weather hazards, and assist us in providing timely notification of where storm damage is likely to occur. We are fortunate to have dedicated individuals to help us better protect residents of Wyoming.”

Additional information on storm spotting is available on the local National Weather Service website at http://www.weather.gov/riverton or by calling the Riverton office toll-free at 1-800-211-1448.