An essential part of warning residents when severe weather is imminent is weather spotters who provide forecasters with first-hand information.Residents can learn what to look for when observing weather in a free class being offered next week by the Knox County Emergency Management Agency in cooperation with the National Weather Service.
Some topics covered will be thunderstorm development, types of tornadoes, resources for spotters and spotter positioning.
Galesburg Fire Chief and Emergency Management Coordinator Tom Simkins says Daryl Onton with the National Weather Service brings along a lot of good video, photography and instruction on weather.
He tells WGIL another big part of the class….safety…
“Like when not to be out. We always recommended weather spotters aren’t out after dark for your obvious reasons,” Simkins says. “But a number of things the class covers like thunderstorm development, types of thunderstorms, types of tornadoes and we get into landspouts and gustnadoes.”
Simkins say there are regulars to the class who have developed a passion for weather spotting but the more people that are trained the better.
He says it takes someone who his dedicated and understands what they’re doing.
The class will be Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. at the Lake Storey Pavilion and will last about 2 hours.
