This is severe weather awareness week in Nebraska. This is the time of year to start watching and listening for those outbreaks of strong thunderstorms.

Brian Smith is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Valley. He says they have already been holding weather spotter training classes…

 

Smith says one big change in recent years is how reports of severe weather get reported to them…

 

Despite all the advancements in tools like Doppler radar, Smith says spotters are still a critical part of their severe weather coverage…

 

It is also severe weather awareness week in Iowa.