April O'Neil / news@WHMI.com

The National Weather Service is offering volunteer training classes to educate the public on severe weather patterns and accurately report conditions back to the NWS.

The SKYWARN Storm Spotter Program is offered this week and next week for local residents to learn about climatology, severe weather safety, and providing essential weather information for the safety of the community.

According to the NWS, since the program started in the 1970s, the information provided by SKYWARN spotters, coupled with Doppler radar technology, improved satellite and other data, has enabled NWS to issue more timely and accurate warnings for tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and flash floods.

The NWS says SKYWARN storm spotters form the nation's first line of defense against severe weather.

On their website, the NWS summarizes, ‘There can be no finer reward than to know that your efforts have given your family and neighbors the precious gift of time--minutes that can help save lives.’

SKYWARN classes are free and are offered both in-person and virtually. In-person classes are offered only once a year in specific regions, but volunteers can attend virtual classes at any time.

In Oakland County, there is a class planned for this Thursday, April 13th at 7:00 p.m. at the Waterford Oaks Activity Center.

In Livingston County, volunteers can attend a class on Monday, April 17th at 7:00 p.m. at the Hamburg Township Fire Department.

More information on the program and the locations for those classes can be found at the provided link or by visiting https://www.weather.gov/SKYWARN .