If you are even remotely interested in weather, then I would advise you to check out the National Weather Service’s Skywarn program.
The NWS has some of the best weather equipment out there today: high-tech radar, satellite and computer models to show them where severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, heavy rains, etc., are located. However, what these tools do not tell the meteorologists is what is happening on the ground. Sure, there is heavy rain, but is flooding occurring? Is that rotation they can see from above a tornado on the ground? Is large hail falling out of that red thunderstorm core, and how big is it?
This is where the Skywarn “spotters” come in. All you need to do is take a training course in the spring, and then you are ready to go. You will be given a phone number for your local NWS office, and you will also know what types of severe weather NWS is looking for in your area and what they would want you to report. Then, if you ever observe severe weather, you can call it in and maybe help a warning get sent out minutes earlier, or assist in verifying something NWS was watching on radar but wasn’t sure was actually happening.
Tools like radar are great, but nothing beats a trained pair of human eyes!
How To Get Started: Your local NWS office will usually hold training sessions to become skywarn spotters each spring. Around here there is one for each county, usually in March or April. The classes are free and open to the public, and are a few hours long. Some offices also offer winter spotter training.
Visit your local Nws office web page during March and April and see if a link is provided in the “Top News” section to a training schedule calendar. You can also go to their Skywarn page, which most have a link to in the navigation menu, or E-mail your office and ask if they are holding a class for your county and when it will be.
For more information about about Skywarn, visit this site: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/skywarn/#content
Nick's WNY Weather Page 