JAMES K. PURPURA, CCM
Director of Weather Forecasting
930 Tahoe Blvd., Suite 802-560
Incline Village, NV 89451
Phone: (775) 636-8553
Cell: (951) 264-9668
Fax: (775) 636-8430
E-mail: purpura@weatherextreme.com
Web Site: www.weatherextreme.com
EDUCATION
B.S.
1977 Meteorology
B.S.
1988 Computer Science
Computer Science
Northern Illinois University
University of Central Oklahoma
University of Illinois
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2013-Present
Director, Weather Forecasting, WeatherExtreme Ltd. A Research and
Consulting Company
2011-2013
Weather Forecasting/Weather Feature Articles, WeatherCurrents.com
2003-2011
Director, National Weather Service, San Diego, Ca
2002-2003
Director, National Weather Service, Corpus Christi, Tx
1990-2002
Warning Coordination Meteorologist, National Weather Service,
Norman, Ok.
1985-1990
Marine/Aviation/Public Forecaster, National Weather Service, Chicago,
Il
1981-1985
Instructor, Aviation Weather for Air Traffic Controllers, FAA Academy,
Oklahoma City, Ok
1980-1981
Weather Instructor, Officer Classes, Chanute AFB, Rantoul, Il
1979
Marine Forecaster, Institute for Storm Research, Houston, Tx
PROFESSIONAL AWARDS
* U.S. Department of Commerce Gold Medal Award (personal), “for development and
implementation of a program for warning deaf and hard of hearing Oklahomans of NWS warnings
through pagers”.
* U.S. Department of Commerce Bronze Medal Award (office) “for lifesaving actions during the
October 2007 wildfires in southern California
* U.S. Department of Commerce Gold Medal Award (office) “for lifesaving actions during the
disastrous southern California floods of January 2005”
* U.S. Department of Commerce Silver Medal Award (office)”for lifesaving actions during the
October 2003 wildfires in southern California”
* U.S. Department of Commerce Gold Medal (office) “for lifesaving actions during the record
tornado outbreak of May, 1999 in Oklahoma”
James K. Purpura
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* Nominated by National Weather Service for Department of Commerce Distinguished
Career Award
* Certified Consulting Meteorologist #701, American Meteorological Society
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
* American Meteorological Society
* National Weather Association, Charter Member
* San Diego Chapter American Meteorological Society/National Weather Association
CURRENT & PAST PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS / SIGNIFICANT MEDIA INTERACTIONS
* Successfully completed a survey of 133 field mesonet weather stations for San Diego Gas and
Electric over a 6 month period. This was the largest survey of its type ever done, and was
completed on time, within budget, and accident free with 3,900+ road miles traveled on paved
and unpaved (mountain) roads. Set up data server, developed image catalogue for online
server and metadata for company. (Contractor/Project Manager)
* Helped maintain a mesonetwork of 17 stations in southern California. Provided daily weather
forecasts, feature weather articles and media interviews with Inland Empire (southern
California), Los Angeles, and San Diego media. (WeatherCurrents)
* Provided weather forecast and warning services to 10,000,000 residents in southern California,
including fire, flood, and tsunami warnings. (National Weather Service, San Diego)
* Featured in an episode of Survive This! on Discovery Channel, discussing tornado damage
and personal safety plans.
* Provided weather forecast and warning services to 600,000 residents in south Texas, including
fire, flood, and hurricane warnings. (National Weather Service, Corpus Christi)
* Team Leader, National Weather Service, Service Assessment Team. Formed to investigate and
evaluate services provided during a record series of tornado outbreaks in 2003. Findings
briefed to NWS Director and Corporate Board.
* Conducted over a dozen tornado damage and service assessments in Oklahoma. (National
Weather Service, Norman, Oklahoma)
* Featured in The Weather Channel’s The Weather Classroom focusing on tornado shelters
and a family safety plan.
* Team Leader – National Weather Service Severe Storm Warning Criteria Team: developed
new hail size criteria, now adopted by the National Weather Service for Severe Thunderstorm
Warnings.
* Computer System Manager (AFOS), National Weather Service, Chicago, Illinois
* Weather Instructor: Air Traffic Controller courses (National Weather Service/FAA Academy,
Oklahoma City, Ok)
* Weather Instructor: Satellite/Radar/Tropical Meteorology/Officer Courses (Chanute AFB
Weather School, Rantoul, Il)
* Marine Weather Forecaster, Institute for Storm Research - now Weather Research Center
(Houston, Texas)
NATIONAL PRESENTATIONS
J Purpura, 2009: Southern California Firestorm of 2007 Presentation to American
Meteorological Society, annual meeting, Phoenix, Arizona (invited presentation)
J. Purpura, 1998: National Severe Thunderstorm Warning Criteria Team Presentation to
National Weather Association Annual Meeting
PUBLICATIONS
James K. Purpura
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Purpura, J., Bone, S., Jordan, K., 2013: The Role of the Elsinore Convergence Zone on Severe
Weather Vulnerability in Southern California’s Inland Empire: Case Studies and Warning
Performance Analyses, submitted to AMS for Certified Consulting Meteorologist credential review.
Purpura, J., Cobb, S., Marsh, P., Hudson, M., 2012: The NWS and Vortex2: Facilitating RealTime Communication between research and Warning Operations. NWA Electronic
Journal of Meteorology.
Purpura, J., Restrepo, P., Jorgensen, D., Cannon, S., Costa, J., Laber, J. Major, J., Martner, B., and
Werner, K. 2008: Joint NOAA/NWS/USGS Prototype Debris Flow Warning System for
Recently Burned Areas in Southern California, Bulletin of the American Meteorological
Society