It might not feel like it, but severe weather season will soon be upon us. March 1-7 is Severe Weather Preparedness Week. LLCC is hosting the National Weather Service Spotter Training class for Sangamon County on this evening at 6:30 p.m. in the Student Union, Menard Hall.

Severe storm spotters are a VITAL part of the warning process and played a critical role in getting timely warnings and information out to the public during the deadly tornado outbreak on Nov. 17, 2013. The NWS in Lincoln, IL provides on-site spotter training classes annually in various locations across central and southeast Illinois between March and early April.

Anyone with an interest is welcome to attend a spotter class. Children (under the age of 18) are welcome to attend; however, they will not be considered official spotters. There is no cost for the training–just 2 to 2.5 hours of your time for the class. The spotter training class is designed for people new to severe storm spotting, as well as those that need refresher training. The training is comprised of all of the information that spotters need to be effective and stay safe.