It’s Tornado and Severe Weather awareness week in Wisconsin

This week is Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week in Wisconsin.

Fond du lac County Emergency Manager John Ross says this is the time to make sure you are prepared for severe weather that may affect the area. This includes knowing severe weather terms that will be mentioned by weather forecasters during days when severe weather is likely, or happening.

The two most important and often mixed up terms are watches and warnings. A severe thunderstorm or tornado watch is issued when conditions are favorable for the development of storms and tornadoes. Watches are often issued hours before severe weather forms.

Warnings are issued when storms that are likely severe, or have tornadic circulation, either in the clouds as seen by doppler radar, or on the ground as seen by spotters, are actively approaching the area.

You can learn more about severe storms and become a severe storm spotter for your area by attending the free weather spotter class that will be given by a member of the National Weather Service. This class will take place Tomorrow at 6:30 PM at the Fond du Lac City County Government Center at 160 south Macy Street in Fond du Lac. The class takes about two hours with a brief break half way through.

Also, as a part of severe weather awareness week, two statewide mock tornado drills will be issued Thursday April 10th. One at approximately 1:45 pm and another at approximately 6:45pm. This gives most people the chance to act out a plan at work and at home.

NOAA Weather radios and outdoor warning sirens may be activated during the drills.