Do you know how thunderstorms form? Do you know the basic building blocks a storm needs in order to turn severe? Do you know who to inform in case you spot severe weather throughout the Hudson Valley?

If you've always been interested in weather, and thought you missed your chance to be a meteorologist, maybe not.

The National Weather Service is once again offering free training for volunteers in their annual SkyWarn program. This is a 2-hour training program that can help teach you how to identify weather which is about to turn severe, how thunderstorms develop and what they need to form, and how to report information.

Currently, there are more almost 300,00 trained volunteers throughout the country. You could join them and help keep your neighbors in the Hudson Valley safe by reporting dangerous weather conditions quickly and accurately.

Upcoming training sessions are scheduled for Greene, Ulster, Columbia, and Dutchess counties. Click here for dates, locations, and to register.

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