MetEd » Resource Description: Skywarn Spotter Convective Basics

Skywarn Spotter Convective Basics

- Languages: English
- Publish Date: 2011-04-22
- Last Updated On: 2017-03-29
- Skill Level: 0
- Completion Time: 1.00 - 1.25 h
- Includes Audio: yes
- Required Plugins: none
- Topics:
  Convective Weather, Emergency Management
- Included in Courses:
  SKYWARN^® Spotter Training
- Overall Rating:
  (6146 ratings)
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Xjetjok 2018-03-14 19:28:13

Good use of videos/scenarios in lesson plan. Lots of interesting weather photographs but still photography does not give enough information (i.e. cloud rotation) to make a definitive judgement. I'm a retired pilot (31 years) flying in the Midwest and across the Great Plains. I developed a useful understanding of thunderstorms and got to observe many of them from high altitude. When you are at flight level 390 and are only "shoulder-high" to these big boys, you treat them with great respect and give them a wide berth. I've been struck by lightning three times in flight, down in terminal areas where deviations around thunderstorms are not always permitted.

IndianaDan 2018-02-20 15:39:14

Glad I took the course, but it could use some improvements. For example, videos aren't used for judging our ability to recognize weather phenomena; still photos are used for that. This isn't a technological issue, as videos are used to present different scenarios and how to respond to them. Quiz questions and answers can seem inconsistent as well, almost as though different people wrote them with different scenarios in mind. I had to change devices (Kindle to pc) to finish course as screen kept going black. That same page also contained a coding error that left "p class="question">" at the start of one question. Still, glad I took the course. Will review the material, especially the photo quiz.

CSanderson71 2017-04-17 15:06:27

The format used in the SKYWARN Spotter program is outdated by 25 years. The amateurish dialogue and sound effects with single image slides is cheap, cheesey, and not at all appealing. This is 3rd grade level at best. The intentionally obtuse wording of questions is incredibly annoying and unprofessional. The goal is to educate, not see how vaguely a question can be worded. I am a writer with a PhD in psychology, so it is not a lack of education on my part. This is obtuse and absurd and childish and unprofessional. This is just like the old "junior deputy" program the police used to do in elementary schools 40 years ago. A real Barney Fife operation.

DanicaFlyte 2017-04-05 10:20:37

In-depth and informative lesson with a multitude of examples showing the difference between actual weather phenomena and look-alikes with helpful commentary describing each photograph. I appreciated the volume of examples for training purposes. (Only constructive criticism is the question about prior experience in this subject area. None of the choices were applicable as I've never had the opportunity to learn this in school, am not employed in this field, and do not teach it, yet have been active Skywarn storm spotter for years and now through ARES/RACES. I'd suggest an additional choice as that of trained volunteer.

Dragonbard 2017-02-16 14:38:55

I did notice a few of the questions in the quiz part were based on one action being safer than another, however it was not as clear in the lesson itself whether running or holding out in a car is safer action, and a lot depends on what you know is coming too. It would be better to train people to act based on the kind of storm or flood coming rather than just saying staying in the car vs getting out and getting into a ditch is safer during the kind of event. In a heavy flooding area for example you would not want to get into a low ditch even if the storm were coming. It just seems that they need to clarify this point a bit better.

skater314159 2014-05-19 14:05:08

This is great module. If you like weather and what to know: 1) what is weather spotting? 2) who can be a weather spotter? 3) what do I need to know to be a weather spotter? 4) what is ACES? how does it help me stay safe? 5) what is convection? 6) what are storm and cloud features I might see when spotting? 7) how do I make reports to the NWS? then this is the module for you! You will learn all this and more in this interesting two part class that can be taken right on your computer, where ever you are! After you take this class, you can help share knowledge of what you are seeing on the ground to your local NWS office! Who knows? You might even help saves lives and property!

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define the acronym ACES
identify examples of each part of ACES
list proper safety guidelines to use during severe convective weather:
- while in a building
- while in a car
list the four reportable convective weather events and their national criteria
identify the seven required pieces of information to communicate to the NWS when making a storm report
demonstrate how to make a clear and succinct storm report for a severe convective weather event
indicate when it is appropriate to call the NWS with a storm report
explain why using standard-sized objects for measuring hail is important for forecasters
identify the majority of structural storm features when presented with a gallery of severe convective storm feature images. These include:
- tornado
- funnel cloud
- wall cloud
- precipitation shaft
- virga
- updraft
- shelf cloud
- mammatus
- anvil
- overshooting top

SKYWARN Spotter, Convective, Convection, Basics, NWS, National Weather Service, Thunderstorms, Thunder, Lightning, Tornadoes, Hail, Rain Shaft, Mammatus, Anvil, Hail Shaft, Precipitation Shaft, Shelf Cloud, Thunderstorm Damage, Overshooting Top, Updraft, Wall Cloud, Thunderstorm Rotation, Virga, Hail Size, Storm Coloration, Tornado Look-alikes, Look-alikes, Wind Speeds, Storm Reports

March 2017: HTML and media assets in this lesson have been updated for current browsers and mobile devices.

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Skywarn Spotter Convective Basics

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