Next week, April 12-16, is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Minnesota. With peak season for tornadoes in our area coming in May and June, now is the time to prepare yourself for the possibility of severe weather.

The National Weather Service out of Sioux Falls is responsible for disseminating information about severe weather for our area. One way they do that is by issuing weather-related watches and warnings for our area.

As we move into the severe weather months, it’s a good idea to take stock of where you will go if there is severe weather, and inform your family members on what to do if there is a storm. If you live in town, your town will probably have firemen and first responders who go out of town to watch the skies if there is a watch or warning.

If you live out in the country, you will need to be your own weather spotter. If a watch has been issued, keep an eye on the sky and keep your weather radio and phone handy. Watch for the wall cloud, the squall line, or funnel clouds. These terms are identified in the side bar.

If your farm is surrounded by a grove, you will want to have a space where you can see the sky and an approaching storm.

According to the NWS, one of the best ways to be prepared is to have multiple ways that you can be informed about a potential severe weather event.

In Pipestone and Murray County, you can sign up for the Code Red System, which will send you a text message or call you if there is an emergency. Rock and Nobles counties have a slightly different system called Nixle. You go online to your county’s website and sign up to receive text or email notifications in the event of an emergency.

Another way to stay informed is by having a weather app on your phone that gives you radar information. The weather app that comes on your iPhone does not supply radar, so you may want to download a more sophisticated app for more detailed information. You can also bookmark www.mobile.weather.gov on your smart phone to access the NWS website.