PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. (Dec. 8, 2009) - The Calvert County Department of Public Safety is hosting a SKYWARN® Weather Spotter Basics I class on February 22, 2010, from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at the Calvert County Fairgrounds. Established by the National Weather Service (NWS), SKYWARN® is a program that trains volunteers to provide timely, accurate reports of severe weather to the NWS Weather Forecast Office in Sterling, Va.
The main responsibility of a SKYWARN® spotter volunteer is to identify and describe local severe storms. This information, coupled with Doppler radar, satellite and other data, enables the weather service to issue more timely and accurate warnings for tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and flash floods. SKYWARN® and partner organizations rely on nearly 290,000 trained severe weather spotters.
The Basics I class is the introductory course and pre-requisite for all other courses offered. The course covers the following:
-- The basic organization of the National Weather Service;
-- The role and importance for the SKYWARN® Spotter;
-- NWS products and the watch/warning/advisory system;
-- Thunderstorms and thunderstorm threats;
-- How to report vital information to the National Weather Service; and
-- The role of amateur short-wave (HAM) radio in the spotter program.
To register for this class, contact the Calvert County Department of Public Safety, Division of Emergency Management, at 410-535-1600 or 301-855-1243, ext. 2638 or e-mail oem(at)co.cal.md.us.