|
2008 National Storm Conference Agenda
9:00 a.m. - Welcome & Announcements
9:15 a.m. - Gary Woodall, National Weather Service - Ft. Worth, Texas
4th Annual Super Storm Spotter Training Session - "Structure and Behavior of Severe Storms: Tools for Storm Spotters."
Gary Woodall is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Ft. Worth. He received his BS degree in meteorology from Florida State University in 1985, and his MS in 1988 from the University of Oklahoma (OU). At OU, he served on the university's severe storm intercept team performing Doppler radar analyses of severe storms. He has developed spotter training materials which are used nationwide by the NWS.
This presentation will describe the structure of severe storms, interaction with their environment, and mechanisms for severe weather production. We will discuss basic analysis of surface and upper air weather data, interpretation of radar imagery, and considerations when applying this data to spotter operations. The program will conclude with case-study reviews of recent severe weather events.
11:20 p.m. - Break
11:30 a.m. - Darryl James, Ph.D., Texas Tech University
"Physical Simulation of Wind Loading in a Tornado-like Vortex"
Dr. James has been working in the area of physical simulation for ten years and is currently leading the development of a large-scale tornado simulator (10 meters in diameter). His research will lead to increased fundamental understanding of wind loading on scaled models subjected to tornado-like vortices as well as the flow field in a simulated tornado.
This talk will present and compare velocity and surface pressure profiles generated using our simulator with available full-scale data from the Spencer and Manchester, SD tornadoes. The characteristics of the radial, tangential, and vertical velocity profiles and the resulting wind loading on a cubical building model placed at various locations within the simulator will be presented. Comparisons of the wind loading data with an atmospheric boundary layer simulation will be made and some conclusions on the validity of this simulation will be discussed.
12:00 p.m. - Lunch, catered by Colter's Barbeque - $8.00.
12:40 p.m. - Greg Thompson, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado.
"Dirty little secrets in numerical weather prediction."
Greg Thompson grew up in Baltimore, MD, received B.S. in Meteo from Pennsylvania State Univ. in 1990 and M.S. in Atmos. Sci. from Colorado State University in 1993. He has worked at the National Center for Atmospheric Research since 1993 with primary focus on diagnosis and forecasting of aircraft icing. In this endeavor, he researches and codes software for use in numerical models (MM5 and WRF) to predict water species in the atmosphere (cloud physics).
While the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model may be the latest and greatest numerical model, it has plenty of flaws to consider while making daily forecasts for storm chasing or otherwise. Even with some of its flaws, it is somewhat amazing how far in advance the models can be trusted for guidance to predict the basic fundamentals of severe weather events. The presentation will show examples of good and poor model performance and discuss aspects which need focused attention to improve NWP forecasts beyond their existing skill level.
1:40 p.m. - Break
1:45 p.m. - Greg Stumpf, National Severe Storms Laboratory, Norman, Oklahoma
"The Future of NWS Severe Weather Warnings"
Greg Stumpf is the Hazardous Weather Testbed Experimental Warning Program (HWT/EWP) Science and Operations Officer at the National Weather Center (NWC) in Norman, Oklahoma. Greg is a University of Oklahoma meteorologist contracted to work for the National Weather Service (NWS) and the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) to help test and transfer new warning technology, products, and services into NWS operations via the testbed. Throughout his 19-year career, he has participated in a number of special research projects, including several storm intercept programs such as VORTEX, as well as real-time NWS warning decision proof-of-concept tests at about 20 forecast offices nationwide. He has chased storms as a hobby in the Great Plains since 1987, and has witnessed numerous severe storms and tornadoes
Greg's talk will describe some of the NSSL research dedicated to improving warning products for WFO meteorologists and users, advances in technology (e.g., phased-array radar), the Hazardous Weather Testbed, possible changes to warning products, and what it means to the public.
2:45 p.m. - Break
2:50 p.m. - Mike Umscheid, National Weather Service, Dodge City, Kansas
"Greensburg 5-4-7: Anatomy of a Severe Local 'Superstorm'"
Mike Umscheid has been an operational meteorologist in the National Weather Service at Dodge City, Kansas since 2002, after graduating from the University of Kansas. Mike's professional interests include the study of non-traditional tornadogenesis processes, severe and unusual winter storms on the High Plains, and in-depth radar interrogation of anomalous severe local storms. Mike received the 2007 National Weather Association's Operational Achievement (Individual) Award for life-saving warning services provided during the Greensburg tornado disaster. Hobbies include storm chasing and landscape photography.
Mike's presentation will provide a retrospective of the disastrous Greensburg, KS tornado event from the perspective of the NWS radar meteorologist on duty the night of May 4, 2007. A detailed analysis of one of the most complex and destructive tornadic supercell observed will be presented including an in-depth meteorological analysis leading up to and during the 6-hour tornadic lifespan of this storm. Detailed radar, storm chaser accounts/photography, and a first-hand account of a survivor in Greensburg will be chronicled.
3:50 - Break
3:55 p.m. - Tribute to Alan Moller
4:00 p.m. - Alan Moller, National Weather Service - Ft. Worth, Texas.
"Flashback: 1970's - Advancements in Understanding Visual and Radar Storm Structure"
Alan Moller grew up in Ft. Worth and crossed the Red River to study meteorology at OU, where he received BS and MS degrees. Alan participated in the first official chase program in 1972, the "Tornado Intercept Project". He has chased storms ever since, and has contributed to numerous spotter and forecaster projects. Projects and studies include: the 1985 FSL forecast experiment, the 1986 national microburst symposium, the 1991 Tornado Symposium, and the 1995 VORTEX project.
Al's presentation will cover the advances in the 1970s, when a better understanding of visual and radar storm structure was achieved, mainly from the Tornado Intercept Program at OU/NSSL. He will highlight several of the most important storms that were intercepted both by Doppler radar and chase teams.
5:00 p.m. - Farewell and Dinner Announcement
6:00 p.m. - Dinner. A casual dinner gathering and toast to Alan Moller (location TBA).
Alan Moller Tribute Notes: If you have a personal story, funny or serious, about Alan Moller you would like to share, please scribble it down on a sheet of paper and bring it to Martin or Erin and we will attempt to read it as time allows. Please keep submissions brief. We cannot guarantee that all will be read. We are accepting donations for Al's storm spotter training retirement gift - a camera shop gift certificate (photography is Al's other passion). Bring your donation to Martin, payable to TESSA, and note that is for the tribute. We will make sure that all donor names appear with his gift to be presented the week following the conference.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
TESSA T-shirts, decals and videos can be purchased at the TESSA Store in the vendor area. Super Storm Spotter items are available. Please support the conference by purchasing items from the TESSA Store and from other vendors. Take time to thank the supporters listed below for helping to keep this event free and open to the public.
We would like to thank the following for their generous support.
American Meteorological Society, National Weather Assoc. and the National Weather Service.
Primary Sponsors: NBC5 Weather Team, Tempest Tours, Inc.
Primary Sponsors: Vaisala, Inc.
Vendors: AnythingWeather, R/3, Stormsof20XX, Stormtrack and Weather Lab.
Other Contributors: Maxillis, LP, WeatherShack.com and Weather Graphics.
Special thanks to Prairie Pictures, Inc. for providing staff and materials.
Conference Team: Martin Lisius, TESSA Chairman; Erin Brown, Emcee; Tasha Lawless and Bridget Bishop, Coordinators; and Whitney Jarrett.
Please advise us, before the conference ends, if we failed to thank anyone who provided support.
TESSA Mission Statement
The Texas Severe Storms Association (TESSA) is a 501(c)(3) national non-profit organization founded to bring together both amateur and professional severe weather scientists in an attempt to better understand dangerous storms through the collection and diffusion of knowledge.
The conference is free and open to the public. There is no pre-registration. Arrive early, seating is limited.
|
|
