Why We Become Weather Spotters

by Stan G. Kain

 

Why do people choose to become weather spotters?  There are probably as many reasons, as there are weather spotters.  Whether spotters have volunteered out of a sense of duty to their community, because of an interest in meteorology, or because of some experience in their lives, weather spotters all have a story to tell.  As a spotter, I'd like to tell you about the experiences which led me to weather spotting.

 

Weather affects the lives of everyone, some more than others and sometimes, at an earlier age.  I grew up on a large farm in California.  As far back as I can remember, my father would check the skies, concerned about the impact of weather on our crops or livestock.  We weren't weather experts.  Even without the precise forecasting we have today, we had to recognize dangerous conditions.  If we were unprepared for a coming storm, losses could be significant.

 

I remember times that an unexpected lightning storm left us chasing cattle across neighboring farms.  In winter, with the ground saturated by heavy rains, we had to know when a severe front was approaching.  Strong winds could flatten fruit trees, not braced and supported.  Insecticides and fertilizer, applied at the wrong time, were washed away by rains.  We had to know when the weather would be suitable to import honeybees for pollination.  If we had a cold  snap, the bees could not fly and pollinate crops. 

 

As I say, we were not weather experts.  I'd see my father watching the southern sky, or checking the prevailing winds.  Experience had taught him to “feel” an upcoming storm.  He seemed to know what the snow on distant Mount Shasta meant, as far as planting times.  The methods weren't very scientific, but the old farmers were right, more often than not.

 

I grew up and left the farm, but I took an understanding of the power of nature with me.  I'd grown up seeing crops destroyed by weather.  I'd witnessed the power of storms, saturating levees, causing them to fail, flooding small farming communities, where many lost their property and their lives.

 

Following a tour in the U.S. Air Force, I returned to civilian life and an interest in electronics.  Again, following one of my father's hobbies, I became involved in amateur radio.  I became a “ham” radio operator, as well as employment in the broadcast media.  Amateur radio operators, often serve as communications volunteers during emergencies.  Weather emergencies are no exception.

 

While I had not yet discovered weather spotting, I did volunteer on several occasions, to provide emergency communications, during floods and severe storms.  Ham radio operators would relay emergency traffic for weather and public service agencies.  We'd also relay messages for flood victims to their families, since telephone communications had failed.  I felt this volunteer effort was one way to show the public that our hobby was more than just for personal gratification.  Ham radio operators also serve a valuable function during emergency situations.

 

Following completion of college, through a complex set of circumstances, I ended up living in southern Africa.  This was an entirely new experience for me.  I quickly learned about weather conditions I'd never known before.  There were times when I would be in a remote area and weather reports were not readily available, nor necessarily accurate.  It was time to learn the “bush” system of weather forecasting.

 

I still think back about some of the lightning storms and sandstorms I saw in Africa.  I'm still in awe of the power of storms.  Bush-wise friends taught me to observe the wildlife, a fairly reliable means of predicting storms.  As an example, I learned to watch the ants and termites.  The ants and termites, sensing a severe downpour, would work quickly, building protective mounds to prevent flooding of their homes.  The more aggressive the building process and the higher they would build, the more severe the rainfall would be.  Not very scientific, I suppose, but certainly a warning to seek higher ground.

 

I observed the primitive Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert of Botswana.  These nomadic people live in one of the harshest regions of the world.  Survival is foremost, every day of their lives.  In fact, they still make stone arrowheads, for hunting wild animals.  The Kalahari Desert is dry and harsh, one moment, followed by torrential downpours, sandstorms and lightning shows, equal to a Fourth of July fireworks display.

 

The Bushmen appeared to have an inner “sense” about weather.  Perhaps it was a matter of observation.  I don't know, really.  I do know they were able to prepare for storms and appeared to know how severe the weather would be.  The Bushmen knew the movement of wildlife in the storms, aiding them in hunting.  They also knew how to collect and save water, so precious to their survival.  At the same time, I found it curious that they would often seek safety in a lone tree on the flat grasslands, during a lightning storm.  Often, the shelter became a fatal mistake, when lightning struck.  Life experience didn't seem to deter this kind of behavior.  Understanding weather in Africa can be a life and death matter.

 

Coming back to the United States, after many years in Africa, I found just about everything had changed.  We had cable television, with the Weather Channel, home computers were commonplace and technology had made great strides.  The National Weather Service had Doppler radar and other new weather tracking devices.  Global Positioning Systems (GPS) made pinpointing  storm locations very accurate. 

 

While technology has made tremendous advances, weather prediction and recording still is not perfect.  The most precision instruments still do not provide all the information necessary for storm tracking or recording of data.  There' still the human factor.  Pilots are still needed to fly into hurricanes, recording changing conditions.  Storm chasers still race to follow tornadoes across Oklahoma, Kansas and other midwestern states.  Weather spotters still can take precise measurements of rainfall, snow, rising rivers and changing weather conditions.  All of this information is vital to the National Weather Service. 

 

Sometimes, information provided by storm chasers and spotters may seem insignificant to the casual observer.  This is not the case for the meteorologists who track our weather.  Details provided by volunteers, together with data from satellites, radar and other meteorological instruments serve many purposes.  Warning time can be reduced, due to “ground level” reports, allowing people to seek shelter before tragedy strikes.  Meteorologists also use the data to aid in predicting future storms, by understanding the history of previous weather patterns.  Volunteers play an important role in the weather service.

 

I don't have a scientific background.  In fact, I avoided physical sciences, even while in college.  I'm a journalist – hardly a scientist.  Certainly, being an amateur radio operator allows me to perform additional tasks in spotter reporting, but is not a requirement.  As I grow older, I am interested in the weather.  I find myself comparing this winter to previous winters.  I compare this season's rain with that of last season.  My wife has even hinted at a little weather station for this next Christmas.  The weather station will allow me to keep records of local weather and assist in more accurate reporting as a weather spotter.  Again, not a spotter requirement, but a real plus.  Most of all, I think, I get the satisfaction of giving something back to my community, by volunteering as a weather spotter. 

 

If I can be a volunteer weather spotter, so can you.  The National Weather Service officers classes, usually in the Spring, to assist you in spotter procedures and weather signs.  They also will provide you with a detailed package of information about weather conditions and spotter reporting.  You'll learn what that strange cloud formation signifies and how to stay safe during dangerous weather conditions. 

 

Weather spotting cannot be left to someone else to do.  Accurate spotter reports require the services of many people.  The more reports delivered to the National Weather Service, the more accurate information they are able to provide to the public.  The more remote your location, the more important your information becomes.  Contact your nearest National Weather Service office and tell them you'd like to be a weather spotter.  You'll have fun, help your community and your family.  You'll provide valuable service as a volunteer and find weather to be an interesting subject.