Weather Buffs, Amateur Radio Operators Needed

If you’re interested in weather, the National Weather Service is hoping you will attend an upcoming training session.

SKYWARN is a nationwide network of volunteer weather spotters who report hazardous weather to local National Weather Service (NWS) offices. Volunteers are trained by NWS personnel to recognize features associated with rapidly developing, mature and dissipating thunderstorms which cause hazardous weather. Spotters also report on heavy snow, rain and flooding.

The volunteers assist in locating storms and providing ground truth on the atmosphere that is otherwise observed only from radar, satellites and various reporting stations.

The general public is an integral part of this operation, but amateur radio operators are especially needed. Certification is accomplished by attending a fact filled two hour class. At the completion you will receive a Spotter ID Card.

The next local class will take place on 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, at the East Hampton Middle School Library. It is sponsored by the East Hampton CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) and the town’s Emergency Management department. Seating is limited to the first 70 people to sign up.

To register, send an email to weather@easthamptonct.gov including your name, phone number and email address.

Photo by Highway of Life, via flickr creative commons