Want to be a severe storm spotter in the Chicago area?

Chicago - Believe it or not, meteorological spring is just a few weeks away. Now is the time to start thinking ahead to the eventual start of severe weather season in Chicago.

April, May and June are the peak months, but severe storms can impact the area nearly every month of the year.

Thirteen years ago, an EF3 tornado moved through Boone and McHenry counties in January.

Click the picture below for a video that was taken of the event by a camera mounted towards the rear of the train.

This year, the National Weather Service Chicago Storm Spotter training will be done via webinars. The sessions are free and open to the public and last about two hours. All the details can be found at Chicago's National Weather Service offices website.

A local network of severe weather spotters is crucial for keeping us safe. Here is how the NWS describes their importance:

Real-time reports are critical in issuing warnings and saving lives. That’s an indisputable fact. Spotters provide this real-time ground-truth of local conditions - such as hail size, wind speed, tornado development, and local damage - to help warn the public.

Even as new technology allows the National Weather Service to issue warnings with greater lead time, spotters will always serve as a critical link between radar indications of severe weather and what’s happening on the ground.

A great resource for getting a jump on the training is the SKYWARN weather spotter's guide.