The Office of Emergency Management hosted a Skywarn Storm Spotter Training in February, where attendees learned the basics of thunderstorm development, the fundamentals of a storm structure, how to identify potential severe weather features, and how to report severe weather to the National Weather Service.  

The training returned to UH after taking a pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ginger Walker, Director of Emergency Management, said before the pause, Skyawarn Spotter Training was held annually at the university.  

The return of the training was well received with 18 people attending.  

“The response was super positive,” said Walker. “This was a group of people that really wanted to learn about identifying severe weather.”  

Walker added that with attendees now knowing how to identify potentially severe weather, they can make a report to the National Weather Service which can then validate what the NWS is seeing on the radar.  

Law Center Building Manager Robert Gonzales was among the 18 Skywarn Spotter Training course participants. This is Gonzales’s second time taking the class. He said his previous course was many years ago and wanted a refresher on the material. The building manager said he learned more in the second go-around.  

While Gonzales liked his first Skywarn Spotter Training, the building manager appreciated the second one more due to the amount of information taught in the course.  

“This time, it made you feel like you’re playing an important role in the community,” said Gonzales.  

With Skywarn Storm Spotter Trainings returning to UH, Walker noted the university will hold them annually. Still, if interested individuals do not want to wait for the next one, they can visit the National Weather Service website to see where other local training courses are held.