Have you ever wondered who calls in those reports of dime-size hail from local communities, or who provides the snow depths used by the National Weather Service to map out storm accumulations? In many cases, it's a trained amateur weather observer known as a SKYWARN spotter.

SKYWARN volunteers work in partnership with the Weather Service by observing and reporting adverse weather conditions. Even in this high-tech age of Doppler radar and computer models, the Weather Service still depends heavily on these "ground truth" observers. Generally speaking, SKYWARN spotters are placed on standby when a severe weather watch is issued, and activated once the watch becomes a warning.

Anyone 17 or older with an interest in weather and public service qualifies for SKYWARN spotter training. You must take a free three-hour seminar that teaches the basics of SKYWARN and how to spot and report severe weather. More information is on the Weather Service web site. Currently, there are about 2000 spotters of all ages and walks of life in the thirty-four county service area of the Mount Holly Forecast Office.