from Dave Halloran

Funnel cloud or scud? Attend Weather Spotter training to learn the difference.

Funnel cloud or scud? Attend Weather Spotter training to learn the difference.

Attend a National Weather Service “Spotter” Class and learn to tell the difference, the significance of different types of clouds and more. There is still room in the classes Saturday on Lopez at 12:30 PM at the library and on Shaw at 4:30 in the Community Building. The class is 2 ½ hours long.

Weather Spotters learn to recognize and report hazardous weather including tornadoes, waterspouts, funnel clouds, large hail, frequent lightning, damaging winds, heavy rainfall, flooding and other hazardous conditions. The Weather Service uses the “on the ground” reports from spotters to improve the forecasts and warnings about weather hazards.

The heavy rainfall rate observed locally in Eastsound which caused some flooding last Tuesday night is an example of observations which could be helpful to the weather forecasters.

The classes are free, and your RSVP is encouraged to dem@sanjuandem.net, or 370-0587.