Official storm spotter training class hosted at Scott Published Dec. 11, 2014 By Airman 1st Class Kiana Brothers 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- The 15th Operational Weather Squadron hosted a severe storm spotter training class at the library auditorium Dec. 4 at Scott. The training has been offered throughout the years since 2006 and provides everything a person needs to become a volunteer spotter. The course teaches individuals the basics of thunderstorm development and storm structure, along with features to look for and where to find them. After the training, members are a part of a group of volunteer weather spotters. "This is a great skill for people to learn, because it allows people to get involved in their community and lend a helping hand," said Airman 1st Class Eric Spillman, a 15th OWS Weather Forecaster. The course was instructed by Jim Kramper, the Lead Warning Coordination Meteorologist of the National Weather Service St. Louis branch. The NWS in St. Louis is accountable for maintaining a 24-hour weather watch over 29 counties in Missouri and 17 in Illinois. "The training is helpful to anyone, even children," said Allison Wreath, 15th OWS Technical Operations Chief. "They can still come to the training and be more aware of severe storm spotting." The NWS uses Doppler Radar products, such as satellites and observations, but there are still issues with the information collected. To help alleviate this problem, they began to host the NWS Storm Spotters Course. "The course not only teaches about how the weather works," Spillman said. "It also teaches about weather safety, including how to avoid potentially dangerous situations and stay safe from a severe thunderstorm or dangerous wintertime conditions." Weather spotters provide observations of severe weather events, such as tornadoes, damaging winds, hail, flooding, and winter weather. These reports help the 15th OWS verify weather events at Scott or any other region they cover. "There are many people who are interested in weather," Wreath said. "Anytime someone who is knowledgeable calls in, the National Weather Service has a better understanding of what really happened."