What Do you learn in skywarn training

[The Garden Meterologist]

I'm taking the skywarn training class tomarrow night. first timer here. What do learn in class?

[Downlinerz2]

   I have not taken the course but I have one of their publications.  You basicly learn how to identify and report severe weather.  How to identify wall-clouds, funnel clouds, tornadoes, and whether there is rotation in the storm.  You also learn the basics of how storms work and  storm safety.
   Someone who has been through it can give you more specifics.
      Mark

[The Garden Meterologist]

Thanks for the info.

[W Thomas]

Pretty much everything Mark has already said but in this area they try to show a slide or two of actual severe weather that has taken place in the CWA that way it sort of give the attendees an idea of what they should be looking for looks in like in this area..if this makes any sense

I really enjoy the classes and try to catch one every year if I can.. I know it's an over kill but I enjoy talking one on one with the guys from our WFO.. Usually we do that over the phone or such.

[The Garden Meterologist]

Hi
Just came back from the class Excellent learing about violent weather in our area.

[W Thomas]

They sure are great learning tools!
I have got to attend one somewhere around here this year if possible. I try to every year to keep up with the latest changes.

Glad you enjoyed and benefited from the class!

[smorris]

I attended the Skywarn training this evening in Willard, for Ohio's Cleveland District. It was very educational, and there were several videos of tornados and severe weather in our area presented (including one of the little towns I went through to get there.)

I missed the training in my own county and the next closest. So this was a small town about 70 miles west of Cleveland. I counted 85 people in attendance! I wonder how many show up for Cleveland's Cuyahoga County training!?

It is free and educational. I'd recommend it even if you are not planning on doing any storm chasing. That's not all it is about.
Steve

[SlowModem]

I've noticed that the instructor usually just mentions cocohrahs in passing.  I've started trying to get there early with some pamphlets printed out on the table and I have my cocorahs cap on in case anyone has any questions about it.    This is the March Madness for cocorahs, ya know.  

As many times as I've been to this training, I've never once considered it storm chaser training.  The folks there seem to have much more sense than that.  I've always thought it was a "take cover first, then tell us what you see" course.

When you call into to report, they need an exact, stationary location to know what you're looking at.

[smorris]

I did have my CoCoRaHS cap on, but no one seemed to notice that I saw. Good idea about the brochures. Next year I'll do this at our local training. This one was my first and two counties away, so I was more a visitor than anything.

I didn't mean to imply that this was storm chaser training. They do preach safety, but included where you should be relative to the storm if you are out getting an up close and personal view. I noted that because a lot of what's emphasized on TV is about storm chasing.

Setve

[tommyr]

They should sell the coarse on CD.  I took the classes years ago but got disillusioned because the local ham repeater I WAS part of allowed ANYONE to report in and the repeater was loaded with non trained people just yakking waway like morons while I tried to call in golf ball sized hail shutting down a major road I was on.

I gave up and quit the club after 6 years. I love the Skywarn program but clubs need to limit reporting to ONLY trained spotters. "starting to rain", getting dark here", :it's getting really windy here" type calls ARE NOT REPORTABLE. Frustrating as hell, especially when you're getting hammered by golf ball sized hail, IN YOUR CAR on the road.