For those who could not attend the gathering on Saturday, I have written up a quick report of what it was all about.  A photo slideshow of the event can be viewed at the following address:

    CanadianPrairieStorms Photo Slideshow

There were 10 of us plus the two guest speakers.  The two guest speakers were Dave Carlsen from Environment Canada and Garry McCallum representing the CANWARN program.  The presentations started just after noon and continued until 8pm.  For those who missed these presentations, hopefully you will be able to attend future similar events. Any other groups wishing to organize their own gathering are encouraged to contact Dave and/or CANWARN to arrange presentations.

Dave Carlsen's first presentation was a training session for the Severe Weather Watcher Program.  Severe weather watcher volunteers are the eyes and ears providing much needed feedback from the field about local severe weather events. Their observations assist the weather office in decisions to issue weather watches and warnings. The training program gives the weather enthusiast the tools needed do their job as Severe Weather Watchers.  Thunderstorm basics were discussed and that included the life cycle of a thunderstorm cloud, anatomy of a storm, types of storms and teaching how storms move and change.  The enthusiasts were taught how to read the clouds to know when severe weather was developing and the key ingredients of a storm that warrant calling in a report to Environment Canada.  Severe Weather Watchers are needed year round, not just during the summer storm season. Winter blizzards, ice storms and heavy fog with near zero visibility are other conditions the weather office needs to hear about to keep the public well informed.

Garry McCallum provided a talk on Amateur Radio and the CANWARN program.  Most members of CANWARN are amateur radio operators.  Being an amateur radio operator opens up many possibilities and advantages for the weather enthusiast.  Your local amateur radio club or CANWARN can assist you with passing your exam to become an amateur radio operator should this be of interest to you.

With the advances in technology providing cell phone communications, the internet and text messaging, the weather enthusiast has a tremendous amount of information they can take into the field with them.  This technology is not perfect.  During extreme weather events and major disasters, it is not uncommon for these systems to become damaged or overloaded.  When that happens, normal communications can be impossible.  It is during severe weather events and disasters that the CANWARN members mobilize. Amateur radio operators are often the only way for emergency organizations to communicate with each other when other systems break down. CANWARN members are trained how to assist during disasters and practice often.  Contact your local CANWARN or similar organization to see how you can help.

Dave Carlsen wrapped up the gathering with a more in depth explanation of how severe weather develops. This highly technical information Dave briefly discussed was geared to give the storm chaser the tools needed to know where severe weather is likely to develop.