SACRAMENTO, CA - Weather forecasting continues to improve along with technology, but some of the best tools we have are the eyes and ears of people living in areas affected by severe weather.

The National Weather Service Forecast Office in Sacramento is seeking volunteers to be SKYWARN Weather Spotters. On-the-ground reports help improve warnings and forecasts. This is especially helpful at elevations from 2,000 feet and above and in rural areas. These areas have fewer reporting sites so filling in data with spotter reports can help greatly improve storm tracking.

The next spotter training class is March 11 from 6 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. This online training session will focus on providing weather spotter training and weather safety information for those wishing to become a spotter or as a refresher for existing National Weather Service spotters.

SACRAMENTO, CA    Death Valley, California is known for its extreme heat. It holds the all-time record high for the United States and now it holds the world record.

The hottest temperature didn't occur today in the midst of this late summer heat. It actually occurred on July 10, 1913 when Death Valley hit a high temperature of 134 degrees.

The previous record was held by El Azizia, Libya when the thermometer hit 136 degrees at an Italian army base. Several pieces of documentation didn't add up to the extreme reading though and had long been debated.

After an in-depth investigation, meteorologists at the World Meteorological Organization felt there was enough persuading evidence to overturn the previous record.