...PENNSYLVANIA WEATHER EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS WEEK...

THIS IS THE FIFTH OF A FIVE PART SERIES ON SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY 
WHICH WILL RUN EACH DAY DURING PENNSYLVANIA/S WEATHER EMERGENCY 
PREPAREDNESS WEEK.

...SKYWARN SPOTTERS.

SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE VOLUNTEERS FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE WHO DEDICATE 
THEIR TIME AND TALENT TO REPORTING EPISODES OF SEVERE OR UNUSUAL 
WEATHER TO THEIR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICES. THESE 
REPORTS ARE RELAYED TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN REAL TIME VIA 
AMATEUR RADIO...TELEPHONE...AND THE INTERNET. FORECASTERS DEPEND ON 
THESE REPORTS TO VERIFY WARNINGS ALREADY IN EFFECT...AND TO ISSUE 
WARNINGS IF NONE ARE ALREADY ACTIVE. SKYWARN SPOTTERS ALSO PROVIDE 
CRITICAL SNOW MEASUREMENTS DURING THE WINTER MONTHS. THE EFFORTS OF 
THESE FINE FOLKS IMPROVE WEATHER SERVICES FOR ALL THEIR FELLOW 
CITIZENS.

OVER 3000 SPOTTERS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE 
FORECAST OFFICE IN MOUNT HOLLY NJ. TRAINING SESSIONS ARE CONDUCTED 
EACH SPRING AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS IN EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA...NEW 
JERSEY...DELAWARE...AND THE EASTERN SHORE OF MARYLAND. THESE 
TRAINING SESSIONS TAKE ABOUT TWO HOURS TO COMPLETE AND ARE OPEN TO 
THE PUBLIC FREE OF CHARGE. AN ADVANCED SKYWARN TRAINING 
SESSION...ALSO ABOUT TWO HOURS IN LENGTH...IS ALSO AVAILABLE. COUNTY 
COORDINATORS FOR SKYWARN ARRANGE THESE TRAINING SESSIONS WHICH ARE 
GENERALLY TAUGHT BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PERSONNEL. THE PURPOSE 
OF THESE TRAINING SESSIONS IS TO FAMILIARIZE POTENTIAL SPOTTERS WITH 
THE PHENOMENA THAT SHOULD BE REPORTED...AND HOW. A LIST OF TRAINING 
SESSIONS ON TAP FOR THIS YEAR AND THEIR SPECIFIC LOCATIONS CAN BE 
FOUND ON THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY SKYWARN HOMEPAGE 
LOCATED AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS: WWW.WEATHER.GOV/PHI. CLICK ON 
"SKYWARN" ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE...THEN CLICK ON "TRAINING".

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOUNT HOLLY NJ WOULD LIKE TO THANK 
ALL ITS SKYWARN SPOTTERS WHO VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME AND TALENT 
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

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