Southeast Wisconsin storm spotter training; recruiting volunteers

Name: Southeast Wisconsin storm spotter training
Uploaded: 2025-04-15T16:05:44-05:00
Description: The National Weather Service is training storm spotters throughout Wisconsin – hoping to keep you safe during severe weather.

Southeast Wisconsin storm spotter training

The National Weather Service is training storm spotters throughout Wisconsin – hoping to keep you safe during severe weather.

OCONOMOWOC, Wis. - The National Weather Service (NWS) is training storm spotters throughout Wisconsin – hoping to keep you safe during severe weather.

Storm spotter training

What we know:

Jason Vredeveld is one of dozens who packed Oconomowoc's public library on Tuesday, April 15 for the training.

"Cumulus clouds, the puffy white ones, I know. But that’s about it," Vredeveld said. "Ever since I was a kid, these tornado shows fascinated me. My dad told them to turn them off."

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Tim Halbach of the National Weather Service led the court. He hoped to recruit spotters who would call in when severe weather hits their community. For example, measuring hail in a spotter's backyard can give experts context about the size, scope and intensity of a storm.

What they're saying:

"People react more when they hear that threat has actually been witnessed," Halbach said. "We can guess that from radar, we can estimate on some of the things that we see, but it doesn’t exactly tell us what’s happening."