Stephens County Storm Spotter training scheduled for Feb. 8
The National Weather Service is scheduled to offer a free severe weather training session (Skywarn) in Breckenridge early next month, but if the federal government shutdown continues into the first week of February, the class will likely have to be canceled, according to the NWS Fort Worth office. Several Skywarn storm spotter classes in the North and Central Texas region have been canceled and/or postponed this month.
Although there is a chance the class will be canceled, the NWS says that it will continue to provide critical forecast, watch, warning and advisory information for the protection of life and property during the shutdown.
In 2018, the North Texas area experienced a variety of severe weather, including hail up to 3 inches in diameter in the spring and summer months and flash flooding in the fall months. The 2019 severe weather season is not too far away, and the National Weather Service and Stephens County Emergency Management are planning the free Skywarn storm spotter class for Friday, Feb. 8, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the First Baptist Church Family Life Center.
The class is for organized storm spotters, anyone with an interest in severe weather, and/or anyone who wants to learn more about the severe weather threats in North and Central Texas and how to be prepared. It is part of a regional severe weather preparedness campaign, which will include spotter training sessions across 46 counties in North and Central Texas. Other classes in the region can be found on the full schedule on the NWS website (click here).
The class is free of charge and pre-registration is not necessary.
This year’s program will feature an in-depth review and study of the various threats posed by severe thunderstorms. The program will also review thunderstorm characteristics and features associated with severe and non-severe storms. Additionally, the program highlights severe weather safety and how you can report severe weather information back to the National Weather Service and local public safety officials.
“By coming to this training session, you will gain a better understanding of Texas’ severe weather season,” says Tom Bradshaw, Meteorologist-in-Charge of the NWS Fort Worth Office. “Waiting until storms are on your doorstep is not the time to start thinking about severe weather preparedness. We hope you attend these free sessions to learn more about the severe storms that impact the region every year.”
The Stephens County severe weather program is one of over 40 training sessions that the Fort Worth NWS Office currently has scheduled between January and March 2019. The National Weather Service in Fort Worth provides forecasts, warnings, and weather services for 46 counties in North and Central Texas. For more information on severe weather, visit the NWS website at http://www.weather.gov/fortworth, on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NWSDallasFortWorth and on Twitter: @NWSFortWorth.
