Metro Skywarn Training Program

Every three years Todd Krause and his colleagues at the National Weather Service

office in Chanhassen, train volunteer instructors with all new material.

 The instructors commit to train at least three classes every three years.

MSW trains about 1200 Radio Amateurs every two years. The spotter training program

 runs from March to May every year. The Class Schedule comes out every February.

The NWS brings its weather knowledge and access to exciting and instructive video footage and slides.

The local Amateur Radio organizations bring their expertise in emergency communications.

The result is a four hour video and slide presentation. 

Net operations rely upon a high degree of independence from spotters.

Spotters are trained about Basic Storm Structure and the sequence of events of

an Approaching Severe Thunderstorm, to place themselves safely near severe weather

 and how to report into the net. Special emphasis is placed on training the spotter how

to differentiate severe weather from weather easily confused with severe weather with

a specially prepared video and slide presentation. Many useful

 Weather Terms are learned to facilitate communication on the net. 

To qualify, radio amateurs must pass a multiple choice test every two years.

Spotters are expected to monitor severe weather potential and activate themselves

as needed and available and place themselves at useful locations. Reports are

requested from anyone seeing severe weather. Updates from the NWS about current

 conditions are repeated or updated every ten minutes. Occasionally, the NWS

will request information from a specific location or regarding specific conditions.