skywarn

JAMESTOWN, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The final week of April has been designated as “Severe Summer Weather Awareness Week” for the State of North Dakota.

This annual event is intended to remind the public of the dangers associated with severe summer weather.

“To help us prepare, the Bismarck National Weather Service has scheduled a series of severe weather and safety training classes called SKYWARN,” Stutsman County Emergency Manager Jerry Bergquist stated.

SKYWARN is a national network of volunteer severe weather spotters. The spotters are trained on how to spot severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, hail, flooding, and in some parts of the country they report snowfall and ice accumulation.

This year, SKYWARN classes which are normally held in-person, will be conducted virtually via GoToWebinar and will last about an hour, a bit longer based on audience questions.

“The class will focus on recognizing and understanding the different types of severe summer weather including lightning, thunderstorms, down-burst winds, flash floods, hail, and tornadoes,” Bergquist added. “The class will also share advice on how to be safe from severe summer weather events in North Dakota.”

The class is free and open to anyone who wants to become more familiar with severe summer weather in North Dakota. You need to attend only one.

Click on any of the links below for the class you wish to attend, and a confirmation email will be sent to you.

April 6 – Tuesday at 10 AM

April 7 – Wednesday at 2 PM

April 12 – Monday at 4 PM

April 13 – Tuesday at 7 PM

April 20 – Tuesday at 10 AM

April 22 – Thursday at 8 PM

April 27 – Tuesday at 7 PM