The National Weather Service out of Shreveport will offer its first in-person SKYWARN talks in nearly three years next month.
According to weather.gov, SKYWARN was established to help the NWS obtain critical weather information. SKYWARN is a volunteer-based program with between 350,000 and 400,000 trained severe weather spotters who help keep their local communities safe by providing timely and accurate reports of severe weather to the NWS.
While SKYWARN spotters help provide information for all types of weather hazards, the focus is on reporting severe local thunderstorms. Since the program started in the 1970s, the information provided by spotters, along with Doppler radar technology, improved satellite and other data, has enabled NWS to issue more timely and accurate warnings for tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and flash floods.
The SKYWARN training in Ruston will be held from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4 at the Lincoln Parish Public Safety Complex, 161 Camp Road.
For more information about this free event, call 318-631-3669 or email sr-shv.skywarn@noaa.gov.
