Set for 7 p.m. until 9 p.m., local emergency response officials say the SkyWarn class is a great way to brush up on your bad-weather skills.

“The SkyWarn school is put on by the National Weather Service to train people in the community on how to look at the clouds and conditions and tell what’s going on,” said Big Spring Police Department Lt. Terry Chamness. “It’s very intense. It’s very good training and it’s only a two hour class. They will also have information on how to go online to the National Weather Service Web site and track the weather on their radar sites. That way they can see what’s coming up.”

Chamness said the course will cover the most common sever weather situations for the Howard County area in hopes of preparing area residents for the worst case scenario.

“It’s really a lot of good information for people to have,” said Chamness. “It gives people a basic knowledge of what severe weather is like in our area. Since we’re getting ready to head into the severe weather season, which begins in March and lasts until October, this is really important information to have. Spring time is when we really get a lot of the severe weather — things like hail and possible tornadoes.”

Other classes in the area include Stanton, April 6, in the Martin County Courthouse, being offered from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m.

“There’s no charge for the classes and the public is definitely welcome to attend,” said Chamness. “Those that sign up for the class will receive a certificate from the National Weather Service, and if you’re in law enforcement or emergency services, you can get credit for it. It’s excellent training for anyone to have. They change it up every year. I’ve gone to them for the last seven or eight years, and it’s just excellent information to have.”

According to Warning Coordination Meteorologist Pat Vesper, the class will include information on tracking and classifying storms and various weather conditions, but it’s certainly not limited to emergency management officials and storm chasers.

“While the class is designed for storm chasers and those participating in the SkyWarn program, it has a lot to offer everyone,” said Vesper. “We offer a lot of information on safety during storms and bad weather that the average person can use to protect themselves and their family.

“Our main focus for these classes is safety. We’ll also look at super-cell thunderstorms and the type of weather that can arise out of them. We want our spotters prepared for the kinds of conditions they may see out in the field.”

Vesper said having spotters reporting in during severe weather allows the NWS to develop a better picture of dangers, and while not everyone wants to be a spotter, the information the class provides is invaluable to anyone finding themselves in severe weather.

“The SkyWarn spotters are an integral part of our system,” said Vesper. “They provide reports to us from out in the field, which allows us to combine that information with satellite and radar data to get a good picture of what’s going on.

“Even if someone doesn’t want to become a spotter, I think these classes go a long way to prepare them and their families for a sever weather situation. We’re preparing for the storm season now, and we hope everyone else in the area will do so as well.”

For more information on the SkyWarn program and the Midland branch of the National Weather Service, visit them online at www.srh.noaa.gov/maf, or call 432-563-5006.

Contact Staff Writer Thomas Jenkins at 263-7331 ext. 232 or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it