Want to become a "certified" storm spotter for Lancaster County? Well today is your day! (Saturday, March 26). Just show up at Hardin Hall on the University of Nebraska East Campus at noon or so. The training will be conducted by Brian Smith of the National Weather Service in Valley, NE. He's very entertaining and approachable on weather subjects. You will also find a lot of local hams there. No, not funny men. Ham radio operators. They are the backbone of the spotter network around Lincoln and Lancaster County.
I am a ham and I think it is a great license to have. It's easy to get. The radio is pretty cheap when you compare costs to smart phones, laptops, and pads. Plus, it will still work when a tornado turns a cell tower into a figure 8 piece of junk. (That's about all that worked when Katrina hit the Gulf Coast and I am sure they are getting a workout in Japan right now.)
Put the two together and you could find yourself on top of a hill outside of town when some of the rock and roll clouds blow over the Nebraska countryside.
One thing though, if you go through all of this, don't push the push-to-talk switch on your new ham radio and say you see a "lightning and a bunch of gray clouds." That just doesn't make it in the storm spotting business. So. pay attention to Brian if you go today. He'll tell you what to look for.
Hopefully, the big flakes of snow now falling won't prevent you from getting there! Ain't Nebraska weather great!
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