Albany County advanced SKYWARN training rescheduled for May 18

Albany County residents who want to help spot dangerous weather will have another chance to train May 18 at 6 p.m., when National Weather Service Cheyenne reschedules its advanced SKYWARN spotter class.

The session is designed for people who already know the basics and want a deeper look at the meteorology behind severe storms. NWS Cheyenne says the 90- to 120-minute class goes beyond a core review and into moisture, CAPE, wind shear and lift, along with a closer look at Doppler radar and case studies of recent severe weather events.

The timing matters in a county where fast-changing weather can turn serious in minutes. NWS Cheyenne serves southeast Wyoming and the western Nebraska Panhandle, where the hazards include severe thunderstorms, large hail, tornadoes, high winds, blowing snow and winter storms. In that kind of forecast area, trained reports from the ground can give forecasters the detail radar cannot always provide.

SKYWARN has been part of the National Weather Service program since the 1970s, and the agency says the volunteer network now includes nearly 290,000 trained severe weather spotters nationwide. Those spotters help provide timely and accurate reports to the Weather Service, and the agency says their observations improve warning lead time and accuracy.

The classes are free and open to anyone with an interest in weather, but the Weather Service says dates and sessions can be delayed, changed or canceled if hazardous or impactful weather develops. That makes the May 18 class both a training opportunity and a reminder that severe weather preparedness in Albany County depends on people who can read the sky, understand the setup and report what they see quickly.

Albany County Emergency Management & Homeland Security says volunteers play a vital role in preparedness, response and recovery, and the county maintains emergency training and response partnerships. That local emphasis matches the SKYWARN model: more trained eyes in the field, better reports to forecasters, and warnings that reflect what is actually happening on the ground.

Anyone with questions about the Albany County training can contact Darren Snively at darren.v.snively@noaa.gov or 307-772-2468, or call 1-800-269-6220.