Storm spotters may get example just before training

By Joseph Abbott

Waco area storm spotters getting ready for the National Weather Service's annual Skywarn training sessions Saturday may have quite fresh examples to learn from, as severe weather is possible tonight.

A dry line is moving across Texas, bringing thunderstorms with it when it reaches here late this afternoon and evening. Some of the storms may carry high winds and large hail.

When severe weather hits, the NWS has a lot of technological wizardry at its command, but the gizmos only provide part of the picture. The vital gaps about what's actually happening in a storm — what meteorologists call "ground truth" — have to be filled in by humans on the scene. That's where the NWS's touring Skywarn sessions come in, recruiting and training volunteer spotters to provide that ground truth.

The Waco Skywarn training will be held at the Emergency Services Education Center, 7601 Steinbeck Bend Rd. Basic spotter training will be held from 8:30 a.m. to noon, with advanced training from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Local TV meteorologists will also be there to talk about their stations' efforts, as well as representatives from the Heart O' Texas Amateur Radio Club with info about getting your radio license and joining their spotter network. Hope to see you there...

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