SKYWARN Training Hosted At Marshall 

Weather enthusiasts in the Huntington area had the opportunity Wednesday to become certified storm spotters with SKYWARN. 

SKYWARN is a national network that has over 230,000 community volunteers who safeguard their communities from severe weather and provide real weather reports to the National Weather Service. 

Wednesday’s training course was sponsored by the National Weather Service and Marshall University’s Geography Department and had two presenters: Francis Kredensor, lead meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Charleston, and Kevin Law, West Virginia climatologist and Marshall professor. 

Francis Kredensor, lead meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Charleston, said they offer these training programs to help people understand what to look for.

“Basically, we are trying to raise awareness on severe weather and safety and also gain a few spotters from people who want to volunteer,” Kredensor said.

James Leonard, Marshall Geography Department chairman, said the National Weather Service relies heavily on volunteers to report weather events that would otherwise go unnoticed. 

“So, the idea is that the National Weather Service relies on the public to help them forecast and help them understand what the current weather conditions are,” Leonard said.

Kredensor said the goal of this training is to teach members of the community about thunderstorm and flood safety, while also gaining volunteers for SKYWARN who can provide real reports to the National Weather Service. For more information on becoming a storm spotter, click here.

This report was produced thanks to a partnership between Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications and West Virginia Public Broadcasting.