Severe weather season is fast approaching. As is Severe Weather Awareness Week through the National Weather Service.
No severe weather is currently in the forecast, but Severe Weather Awareness Week begins Monday. Weather Service meteorologist Chelsea Picha says the overall goal is making sure everybody has a chance to be prepared whenever severe weather is possible or is threatening.
The annual tornado drill will be at 10 am Wednesday.
Meanwhile, spotter training sessions have been set for area counties:
*Lyon County: March 25, Emporia State Memorial Union Preston Family Room
*Chase County: March 27, Swope Park Community Center in Cottonwood Falls
*Coffey County: March 20, Burlington 4-H Building
*Greenwood County: Monday, Eureka High School auditorium
*Morris County: March 26, Courthouse basement
*Osage County: April 2, Lyndon Community Building
*Wabaunsee County: April 8, Mission Valley School
Spotter training sessions provide basic lessons about storm structure, storm features, severe weather safety in several different settings and reporting procedures.
Kansas had 76 tornadoes last year, well above the total tornado count the last three years. The KVOE listening area — Lyon and surrounding counties — had 10 of those tornadoes, including one each in Lyon and Wabaunsee counties, two each in Coffey and Greenwood counties and five in Osage County.
The National Weather Service Topeka office issued almost 350 severe thunderstorm warnings, the most for the office since 1984. The Wichita office issued 335 warnings, the most it has issued since 2019. The largest hail for the area last year was softball-sized, falling in Wabaunsee County on March 13.
KVOE will have live on-air and online updates whenever severe weather threatens or is underway areawide, with social media alerts through Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. As has been the case for years, our coverage will be enhanced with information from the volunteer KVOE Storm Team spotter network.
*Click here for the Severe Weather Awareness Week information page through National Weather Service Topeka.
*Click here for the Severe Weather Awareness Week information page through National Weather Service Wichita.
