BILLINGS - The weather will be changing as we move from Winter to Spring and eventually Summer. With those changes comes the threat of severe weather. The Q2 Weather team will be hosting their annual Storm Spotter seminar on Monday evening at the Billings Public Library.
You don't have to be a weather expert to attend. It's for everyone. Jamie Lee Rindahl is a local resident who knows the value of being prepared in the eye of the storm.
"I grew up loving the weather," she said.
Rindahl is a realtor who has had a passion for all things weather-related ever since she was a kid.
"I grew up in Denver, moved up to Montana, and we've had a lot of snow and a lot of downbursts," said Rindahl. "We used to travel by car to Denver every summer. So in the spring there's a lot of tornadoes. And then, when I moved to Kansas, I really got the full scope of what the weather could do."
And she's loved it ever since. Rindahl hosts the Billings Area Weather page on Facebook. It helps keep residents up to date on the region's ever-changing weather conditions.
"I started that because I was posting all my weather stuff to my personal profile. And I thought, well, why not just start a weather group? And I did and so I do the Billings area weather, but I post weather from here to probably a 200-mile radius," Rindahl said.
Not only does she follow Q2 weather, Rindahl's also a big fan of our local National Weather Service.
"I absolutely love that we do have a Billings National Weather Service here in town. I think it's very important. We live in such a weird climate right now. We have weather coming up from the Gulf of Mexico, we have weather coming up from Baja, California, and we sometimes get the Pineapple Express that comes out of Hawaii. It's really good to know what could be heading our way. Since we don't really have storm chasers here, I get to be a storm spotter."
That's why she's been coming to the annual "Q2 Storm Spotter" seminar ever since it debuted many years ago.
"It's great networking. We get to meet you guys. Just to have that ability to see what's coming, to be able to know if you're in severe weather or not. What the difference is between warnings and watches and the possibilities. It's very informative. If you're into weather, this is a great place to come and then you get to sign up as a weather spotter and communicate with you guys."
Here's your chance. Join your Q2 weather team along with the National Weather Service on Monday at the Billings Public Library at 6:30 p.m. Stay informed... Stay safe... and stay for the free prizes and snacks, too.
