Ever wonder what constitutes a severe thunderstorm, or the difference between a tornado and a funnel cloud?

Those questions and more will be answered at the annual storm spotter training class happening this week in Menlo. The Adair and Guthrie County Emergency Management Agency and the National Weather Service Des Moines Office are hosting the event to refresh returning storm spotters and inform newcomers interested in reporting severe weather.

Adair and Guthrie County Emergency Management Coordinator Bob Kempf says volunteer storm spotters in Guthrie County are extremely important for identifying and recording what’s happening at a ground level, compared to what meteorologists can see on a radar. Kempf emphasizes that anyone can be a spotter, “We have boy scouts and girl scouts and 4-H clubs that come, our firefighters, EMS, law enforcement. We have a lot of retired people that come and stuff like that because they’re a great resource and we can’t be everywhere at once. We need an army of people to keep track of what’s going on.”

The class will take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Menlo Community Building. No registration is required, and the program is free and open to the public.