National Weather Service Spotter Trainings

It's that time of year -- with spring knocking on our door.

Most National Weather Service offices are conducting their spring training classes right now that will make you an official spotter for your region.

If this is something you are interested in, either visit the home page of your local office or give them a call.

Click here for the National Weather Service web site. Once there, click on your area of the map.

After you get to your local office's home page, look at the top. Typically the announcement for spotter training is listed at the top or under the news headlines.

Being a NWS spotter is different than CoCoRaHS -- you are assigned an ID much like you are with CoCoRaHS, and when severe weather strikes your area, you call or log on and report large hail, high winds or tornadoes.

This is different than being a National Weather Service co-op weather observer.

Co-op observers operate a home weathe station and take daily observations for the National Weather Service.

The storm spotter is just helping "spot" and report severe weather as it strikes your area.