Observers play a key role in weather prediction and warning
Spotter training session held near Beatrice
BEATRICE – They are the who, what, when and where of severe weather, and a National Weather Service Meteorologist says their role is huge when it comes to weather prediction and warning….despite technology advancements and travel cameras, everywhere, these days….
"I think the role of the spotter is here to stay...there's something to be said for being trained on what to look at...and then being able to see it, and report it."
Nearly 100 attended a weather spotter training session Thursday night at the Homestead National Historical Park, west of Beatrice…. sponsored by local emergency managers and the National Weather Service.
First-hand reporting, including photos and videos…can be key information as forecasters track storms and issue watches and warnings.
Nebraska is heading into spring and summer severe weather season, although Meteorologist Brian Barjenbruch says severe weather is a year-round possibility in Nebraska.
"This last week we had snow....that very same day, Bloomington, Indiana, which is not that far south of us, they had a tornado come through. And, then you go a day later, and Providence, Rhode Island has thirty inches of snow, right? All from the same general storm system, which is interesting. In that situation, you had part of the storm was pulling that moisture up, where it could get all the way this far north...other parts...it grabbed that cold air and yanked it down. So, I hate to over-generalize it, but It's just...whatever that one storm wants to do in terms of the track of the jet stream...it's going to find a way."
Weather spotters are encouraged to make their own safety the highest priority….by being aware of their surroundings, keeping in communication with others, having several escape routes while spotting…and establishing safe zones from which to observe.
Thursday night’s session covered what to look for, regarding high winds, tornadoes, hail, rain, flooding and fire danger. Barjenbruch, a Science and Operations Chief for the National Weather Service, says historically, the two busiest months for tornadoes in Nebraska are May and June.
"I have seen, in some recent years, we can get some pretty early tornado events....and also pretty late...we had a December one. What I like to tell people, including my own family, is that all it takes is one storm. It really just takes the right storm. The atmosphere is incredibly powerful....it does what it wants."
The National Weather Service has an all-encompassing Weather Spotter’s Field Guide on their website…..for a quick brush-up on spotting during severe weather season.