Calendar spring isn’t for another six weeks and meteorological spring isn’t until March 1, but the National Weather Service Topeka office has set dates and times for its annual storm spotter training sessions.
Lyon County’s spotter training session will return to the Emporia State Memorial Union Preston Family Room at 7 pm March 26. Other session dates as listed in chronological order:
*Morris County: March 9, 7 pm. Basement of the Morris County Courthouse, Council Grove
*Coffey County: March 11, 7 pm. Location pending
*Wabaunsee County: March 23, 7 pm. McFarland Senior Center
*Osage County: April 2, 7 pm. Lyndon Community Building
These sessions join the list recently announced by the Weather Service Wichita office.
*Chase County: March 11, 6:30 pm. Swope Park Community Center, Cottonwood Falls
*Greenwood County: March 16, 6:30 pm. Eureka High School auditorium
Training sessions typically go 60-90 minutes. Meteorologist Sarah Teefey with the Topeka office says they provide a lot of basic, useful information for everybody.
Teefey says spotter safety is paramount in the larger public safety picture.
There may not be a presentation during the training sessions, but Teefey also says the Weather Service is watching developments with artificial intelligence. She says the prospect of a false AI-generated image or video in the middle of a severe weather episode “can be very challenging.”
Residents who can’t attend any of the in-person sessions can get information through a virtual session at 7 pm March 30. Click here for the registration link.
Once severe weather is part of the picture, KVOE will once again rely on its volunteer Storm Team Spotter Network featuring ground-truth reports from Lyon and surrounding counties. If you are interested in being part of the network, call KVOE News Director Chuck Samples at 620-342-1400, email kvoe@kvoe.com or message the KVOE Bluestem Farm and Ranch Supply text line at 620-342-5863.
