Weather watchers: Class teaches locals how to track weather

By Donathan Prater

Published: March 18, 2008

They don’t have a bunch of high-tech gadgets and radar equipment. But perhaps the most valuable tool citizens of Lee County have in being prepared for inclement weather are their eyes and and phones.

This week, the Emergency Management Agency (EMA) will host a Weather Spotter Course. Both basic and advanced levels of the class will be offered.

The Weather Spotter courses are a part of the SKYWARN Program. The course will teach participants about how weather is formed, its patterns and about potentially dangerous weather conditions.

Jason Wright of the Birmingham office of the National Weather Service will be the instructor for the weather spotter course.

The course is one Christopher Tate says is beneficial for both first responders and citizens in the community.

“There are a lot of people who feel they know all they need to know about the weather, but this class is designed to dispel any rumors or myths about how and why certain weather exists,” Tate said. “The advanced weather course will go into the specific details on weather formations and knowing the differences between them so the information reported to is accurate and reliable that the NWS will use to determine the proper watches and warnings to issue.”

When it comes to tracking dangerous weather conditions, it’s the information gathered at the ground level that can make all the difference according to Curtis Jennings, a trained storm spotter and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) member.

“Doppler Radar only shows what is happening from about 500 to 1,000 feet above the ground, which is why it’s so important to have eyes on the ground to report actual conditions as they occur.” Jennings said.

If you Go
What: Basic and Advanced Weather Spotter Course

When: Thursday The basic course will be from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. CST and the advanced course will be from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Where: Lee County EMA/EOC, 908 Ave. B, Opelika

The course is free but classroom space is limited so call ahead for reservations at 334-749-8161.