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2011 National Storm Conference Agenda
9:00 a.m. - Welcome & Announcements
Conference Emcee - Martin Lisius, TESSA
In addition to his role as TESSA chairman, Martin works as a producer and cinematographer. He founded StormStock, a weather image library, which provides elements to TV and film producers worldwide for such productions as the academy award-winning "An Inconvenient Truth." In addition, he produced several severe weather programs including "Chasing the Wind" and "The Chasers of Tornado Alley" (PBS) and "StormWatch" for the National Weather Service. Martin is also the founder of Tempest Tours, Inc., a storm chasing expedition company, and is a graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington.
9:15 a.m. - Gary Woodall, MIC, National Weather Service - Phoenix
7th Annual Super Storm Spotter Training Session -
"Storm Structure and Environment Tools for Spotters"
Gary is the Meteorologist in Charge at the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Phoenix, Arizona (previously WCM - 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. 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 Weather Service.
This session will address the environmental parameters favorable for organized thunderstorms. Gary will discuss how variations in these parameters can affect the behavior of storms which develop. He will review the primary types of organized storms such as supercells and the wide variety of multicells, and will present some more common storm evolutions including cold pool generation and supercell-to-bow echo transitions. Gary will discuss the importance of mesoanalysis and demonstrate some commonly-available tools to evaluate the storm environment. The presentation will conclude by illustrating these concepts in a case study of a recent severe weather event.
The certificate for this session is available on-line at http://www.tessa.org/certificate.html
11:30 p.m. - Jason Dunn, Forecaster, National Weather Service - Ft. Worth
"Introduction to Basic WSR-88D Interpretation "
After graduating from the University of South Alabama with a degree in meteorology in 2001, Jason became a forecaster for a private weather company in Oklahoma City. He began his career with the National Weather Service in 2002 in Corpus Christi and currently manages the NEXRAD program at WFO Fort Worth.
His talk is an introduction to WSR-88D radar interpretation which was originally requested by ham radio operators who work in the office during severe weather. Over the last two years he has modified it to be of interest to the general public who may frequently look at radar data. Jason will discuss the basic properties of weather radar with an extensive look at base data analysis and radar derived algorithms and their limitations.
12:30 p.m. - Lunch, catered by Colter's Barbeque - $7.00.
1:00 p.m. - Jenna Blum, Author "The Stormchasers"
"The Accidental Chaser: How a Writer & Weather Weenie Became a Chaser, Almost By Accident"
Jenna, New York Times best-selling author, chased tornadoes for five years with Tempest Tours, Inc. to research her latest novel "The Stormchasers" and is hosting lecture tours for the company this year, as well as chasing with her friends and her dog, Woodrow the Stormchasing Lab. Jenna's website is at www.jennablum.com. She invites you to friend her on Facebook (Jenna Blum) and follow her on Twitter (Jenna_Blum).
Jenna will discuss how she turned a lifelong fascination with severe weather into research for "The Stormchasers," and how that research made a chaser out of her as it became the novel.
2:00 p.m. - Greg Stumpf, Meteorologist, CIMMS
"The NOAA Hazardous Weather Testbed: Experiments in Severe Weather Warnings"
Greg has worked for the University of Oklahoma's Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorology Studies in Norman, Oklahoma, since 1989. Currently, he serves as the severe weather warning technology transfer liaison between the National Severe Storms Laboratory and National Weather Service. In addition, he is the Operations Coordinator for the NOAA Hazardous Weather Testbed's experimental warning program. Greg has been an avid storm chaser since 1987, and dabbles in long-distance cycling, fly fishing, outdoor photography, and electronic music composition.
Greg will discuss the latest happenings in the NOAA Hazardous Weather Testbed in Norman, Oklahoma. The researchers and developers there have been conducting springtime experiments using a number of new data sets including new radar and satellite technology to determine how they will improve decision making for severe weather warnings issued by the National Weather Service. They have also experimented with innovative ways to deliver hazardous weather information beyond the current warning polygons. Learn what the initials "PAR", "CASA", "GOES-R", "PHI", and "WOF" all mean to improving your severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings.
3:00 p.m. - Roger Edwards, Forecaster, Storm Prediction Center
"Forecasting Funnels"
Roger Edwards, an 18-year veteran of the Storm Prediction Center, specializes in forecasting and research of tornadoes and supercells, large-venue preparedness, the EF Scale, and hurricane-spawned tornadoes. He also is chief editor for the Electronic Journal of Severe Storms Meteorology. Born and raised in the Lower Greenville area of Dallas, Roger attended OU for his undergraduate degree and graduate school, while working at the National Severe Storms Lab and chasing with their intercept teams. Later, he spent 3 years at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, experiencing Hurricane Andrew, before transferring to the National Severe Storms Forecast Center in Kansas City. An avid outdoor photographer, Roger has chased supercells and tornadoes for 26 years. He holds the honor of having his homes inside a hurricane, tornado and earthquake since becoming a meteorologist.
Storm forecasting is evolving at blistering speeds from a largely analog, manual exercise into a digital explosion of information with more products than ever. Is more better? How good is all this good-looking model output? Does actual *understanding* of the atmosphere still matter? Is the human forecaster an obsolete relic? Am I already a forecasting fossil before reaching old age? Step inside this fast-changing world with me for a glimpse of the great human-machine struggle for balance and quality in severe storms prediction.
4:00 p.m. - Chris Novy, Asst. Chief Engineer, KOKH-TV
"Safe and Accurate Reporting"
Chris is a veteran storm spotter (WA9V) and chaser, has worked with emergency management for more than 25 years and has taught severe weather safety classes for more than 20 years.
Today, Chris will present his sequel to the incredible 2009 presentation "Operating Safely in Severe Weather."
5:00 p.m. - Door prize presentation and dinner location announcement
6:00 p.m. - Dinner. Join us for a casual gathering at a TBD dinner location.
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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. Take time to thank the supporters listed below for helping to keep this event free and open to the public.
Door prizes are $1.00 each and can be purchased at the TESSA Store. Prizes will be awarded at the end of the conference. Funds from the sale of tickets and TESSA Store merchandise will be used to help pay for today's event.
We would like to thank the following for their generous support.
The American Meteorological Society and National Weather Association
chapters of North Texas and the National Weather Service.
Primary Sponsors: NBC5 Weather Team, Tempest Tours, Inc.
Vendors: Stormtrack, Texas Storm Chasers, Jenna Blum and Mike Smith Enterprises.
Special thanks to Prairie Pictures, Inc. for providing staff and materials.
Conference Team: Martin Lisius, Penny Greenbauer, Shelby Greenbauer, Nick Howard.
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.
Monetary contributions should be made payable to "TESSA."
Texas Severe Storms Association PO Box 122222 Arlington, Texas 76012 www.tessa.org
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