Severe Weather Spotter Training

Burleigh County Officials are preparing for severe summer weather and invite you to attend a Weather Spotter Training Course (SKYWARN Training) hosted at the University of Mary. SKYWARN is a network of volunteers trained in weather observing and reporting for NOAA’s National Weather Service and its mission (the protection of life and property). Training will last approximately two (2) hours. P.O.S.T. Board Credit for law enforcement is available for attending this course.

Topics covered will include:
- Thunderstorm formation
- Thunderstorm hazards
- Definitions (flash flood-tornado-funnel cloud-downburst winds-microburst-etc)
- History of severe weather in ND
- Review of severe weather from 2011
- The importance of reports (how and what to report)
- Safety
- Storm type (Ordinary Cell-Multicell-Supercell)
- Storm strength (what to look for to determine it)
- Storm structure (wall cloud-shelf cloud-mesocyclone-rain free base-rear flank downdraft)

Doppler RADAR is an outstanding tool…but it is not a video camera or camera at all…it does not “see” hail…it does not “see” tornadoes…it does not “see” flash floods…rather…RADAR “indicates” those things. The National Weather Service needs our reports…ground truth to what is happening.

The Bismarck National Weather Service will be presenting the Weather Spotter Training Course:

Free Severe Weather Seminar
7:00 PM CDT Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Gary Tharaldson School of Business Auditorium, University of Mary Campus
 
The public is welcome and encouraged to attend.
No RSVP required.