Democrat photo/Garrett Fuller
Storm spotter class attendees identify a scud cloud Feb. 13, at the California Nutrition Center. Although a scud cloud resembles a funnel cloud and has upward motion, they are harmless, don't rotate, and can be located almost anywhere. National Weather Service meteorologist Brad Charboneau presented a wealth of weather information during the course, covering everything from how storms form, the different types of storms, weather safety and what information should be reported to the weather service.
Even with advanced technology, the National Weather Service still relies on observations from the field to make crucial decisions.
The weather service counts on a team of trained storm spotters to collect those observations, known as "ground truths."
