Tue 2014-04-24 Skywarn class

Skywarn logo

There will be a skywarn class in Charlottesville on Tue 2014-04-24 from 6-9PM in the City Council Chambers. This class will teach you how to spot and report severe weather events to the National Weather Service, which relies on a nationwide network of Skywarn weather spotters. Many skywarn spotters are ham radio operators and skywarn nets are organized to relay skywarn reports when phone service is down. Last local class was 2 years ago (apparently 10 years ago in the valley); otherwise, area hams and other interested people need to drive to Dulles/Sterling to take classes. After you take the class, in person, you will be issued a skywarn spotter id.

This class is open to the public; You do not need to be a ham, to take this class.
please RSVP through this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GQQ7DV3

Skywarn is supported by AARC, the ARRL, Charlottesville CERT, TJMRC, etc.

About Skywarn: http://skywarn.org/about/

Many AARC members are skywarn spotters.

The Charlottesville/Albemarle area, and surrounding counties, get severe thunderstorms, microbursts, derechos, tornados, hurricanes, snowstorms, blizzards, sleet, hail, freezing rain, torrential rains, flooding, flash floods, and mudslides. The majority of deaths from Hurricane Camille where in adjacent Nelson County.

Due to the seating configuration (no tables), you might want to bring a clipboard.

New Location:
TJPDC Water Street Center
407 E. Water Street
Charlottesville, Virginia

1 block off the Downtown Mall
Street parking is available, but limited.
There is a parking garage at 2nd Street SE/Water Street SE
A map is available here: http://www.tjpdc.org/waterstreet/index.html

Diagonally accross the street from thw Water Street Parking Garage.
geo:38.029272,-78.479186
Google Maps

Also, this class helps expose non-hams to ham radio, since ham radio is likely to be mentioned and many hams will be present.

Videos of skywarn classes are available on youtube, but won’t get you a spotter id: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=skywarn+spotter+training
These won’t get you a sywarn spotter id but can be used as a refresher, pre-study, or to assess whether you want to take the class.

Skywarn® and the Skywarn® logo are registered trademarks of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, used with permission.

Also that weekend

  • Northern Piedmont Emergency Net overlaps with this class, though many NPEN members will likely be at the class.
  • Fan mountain observatory public night is the following friday night (you need order free tickets well in advance, they “sell” out): http://www.astro.virginia.edu/public_outreach/schedule.php/
  • Foxfield is saturday (CERT)
  • Sunday is Samuel Morse’s (yes, THE Samuel Morse) birthday party at tinkersmiths.
  • Saturday and Sunday are Conquer the Hill offroad bike race at the Miller School.
  • Saturday morning is AARC’s twice monthly breakfast gathering.
  • Monday is the Albemarle County Search and Rescue Meeting.
  • Tuesday is apparently an (as yet unannounced) TJMRC class, for those who are also TJMRC members

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