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Weather Spotters Ground Truth Forecasts

More than 100 potential weather spotters attended the National Weather Service's Skywan Spotter training session at the Billings Public Library April 2.
Kay Erickson
More than 100 potential weather spotters attended the National Weather Service's Skywan Spotter training at the Billings Public Library April 2.

Modern technology helps the National Weather Service predict and track severe weather. But just as important in the weather warning system are trained weather spotters.

More than 100 potential weather spotters attended the service's Skywan Spotter training session at the Billings Public Library for a lesson on tornadoes, thunderstorms, flash floods and hail.

These volunteers are an important part of the weather service warning process. Technology like Doppler radar provides data from ten to a thousand feet in the air. But what’s occurring up there may not be what’s happening on the ground.

Billings Weather Service Meteorologist Tom Frieder says that’s where weather spotters come in.

"Having those eyes on the ground to say, 'Yeah, this is actually what’s happening at my house.' That's important in the whole warning process for us," Frieder says.

The weather service has been relying on weather spotters for decades. They attend one of these trainings conducted around the country and then sign up, providing a database of names, locations and phone numbers.

Then they just call in.

"Then you just have to pick up the phone and you can hear the large hail hitting their house or their windows," Frieder says.

Bob Harris came to be better educated. He’s a member of a local amateur radio group that works with the weather service to spot local storms.

"So I wanted to learn a little bit more so I could be a little more informed when I listen and participate in that," Harris says.

Frieder emphasized that spotters are not storms chasers and their safety is paramount.

"Make sure you're safe: Inside, interior room, lower elevation. And when that storm passes you report that information to us," Frieder says.

The National Weather Service is holding Skywarn Spotter trainings around the region in April, including Miles City, Baker and Gardiner. The service will also host online webinars in May.

More information is available here.

Kay Erickson has been working in broadcasting in Billings for more than 20 years. She spent well over a decade as news assignment editor at KTVQ-TV before joining the staff at YPR. She is a graduate of Northern Illinois University, with a degree in broadcast journalism. Shortly after graduation she worked in Great Falls where she was one of the first female sports anchor and reporter in Montana.