Students and staff interested in weather reporting and spotting storms will seek shelter at the annual Storm Spotters Training event at the Nutter Center on Sept. 5, held by the National Weather Service (NWS).
The Storm Spotters Training class held at the Nutter Center is full, though those interested in attending the class can still attend at another time and location, according to Kimberly Nagel of Wright State University Emergency Management.
“The NWS website does have other offerings, so there is another one in Montgomery County offered on September 6,” said Nagel.
The WSU-hosted event is intended to teach people who are unacquainted with weather how to understand it and how to help NWS in reporting weather that they see.
The purpose of the class is “to provide trained people for the NWS to help validate and improve upon forecasting,” said Nagel. “For example, the NWS puts out a forecast. It does not include hail for today, but the spotters see hail, so they report that to the weather service, who then goes back to look at the forecast and the data they used to figure out why they didn’t see the hail coming. It helps the NWS to validate forecasts and provide more warning for things like tornadoes.”
Nagel said that she is always available for students, faculty or staff that have questions about weather, emergency preparedness or how the university might react in an emergency situation.
The training event will be held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Berry Room at the Nutter Center.
