GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Mar. 15, 2014) — The weather outside has only started to turn a bit more springlike, but it is the time of year to start looking ahead to severe weather season.
The National Weather Service, in conjunction with local Skywarn and emergency management organizations, is holding severe weather spotter training sessions around West Michigan throughout the coming weeks.
Events this Saturday are being held at Bangor High School at 10:00 A.M., and at the Shelbyville Community Center at 2:00 P.M.
Skywarn training provides a basic understanding of the structure and threats of thunderstorms, along with guidelines for observing and reporting severe weather to law enforcement and the National Weather Service. Spotters are volunteers and not asked to do anything but watch the weather from home or wherever they may be. Being a trained spotter is not the same as a “storm chaser”; storm chasing is an extremely dangerous pursuit that should not be undertaken by anyone without extensive knowledge and training.
There are still events later this month in Lansing, White Cloud, and Battle Creek. You can find the entire list with details on the National Weather Service website.
PHOTO: A tree knocked down by thunderstorm winds in Homer, Mich. from September 2013 (Cherie Hobbs)
