Severe Weather Awareness Week: Statewide Tornado Warning

Around Wyoming this week, the National Weather Service and emergency agencies are taking part in Severe Weather Awareness Week, with each day focusing on a different theme.

Keith Meier is a Meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Billings. He explains the purpose of the week.

Speaking of a tornado watch, the entire state of Wyoming will be undergoing a Tornado Warning test this Wednesday, April 20th, at around 10 or 10:30 a.m. Meier.

Meier says that it will be very clear throughout the Tornado Warning test on radio and television broadcasts and electronic media alerts that this is a test. He adds that if the weather happens to be inclement that day, they will postpone running the test so as not to confuse citizens.

Meier indicates that local emergency management agencies around the state are involved as well.

Along with that big test on Wednesday, the rest of the week highlights a different theme under the campaign of “Ready, Set, Go.”

“Ready” signifies the habit of monitoring hazardous weather outlooks seven days in advance. “Set” indicates that as confidence in a system increases, watches will be issued to give you a heads up that preparations are in order. And “Go” is an upgrade to warnings that will be issued when the weather service is certain a storm is producing severe weather and shelter should be sought.