There is still snow on the ground, but Steinbach's Emergency Coordinator is already getting himself prepared for the summer storm season. Denis Vassart says he is looking for more volunteers to help watch the sky and report on what they see during severe weather season.

(Denis Vassart)The StormReady season this year runs from May 3rd to September 27th. Vassart says right now he has 20 volunteers committed to the season. He says another six would help round out his team, ensuring there are backups in place on days that regular members can't help out. Shifts run from Wednesday to Wednesday, with four volunteers used per week.

Vassart says volunteers must live within 10 kilometres of Steinbach. He notes the reason for this requirement is that weather systems can change within a region and so for example, just because there is a tornado tracking towards Landmark, doesn't mean that tornado will hit Steinbach.

According to Vassart, these volunteers play a vital role in providing an early warning to the city for severe weather that might be headed our way. If a funnel cloud is spotted by a volunteer, it is reported to Environment Canada, the Steinbach radio stations and to Steinbach's emergency operations team.

Vassart says their StormReady volunteers were a little busier in 2016 than the two years previous. He notes more time was spent last year watching the sky and looking at radar. Volunteers are not expected to report on conditions at night.

"We don't go out after dark because it's not safe to be out there," says Vassart. "You can't see what's coming at you after dark, so you are just putting yourself in harm's way."

A kickoff meeting has been scheduled for February 16th at the Steinbach fire hall, beginning at 7 pm. Anyone interested in signing up this year can contact Denis Vassart at dvassart@steinbach.ca.