JAMES D. MEANS, Ph.D.
Atmospheric & Climate Scientist
930 Tahoe Blvd., Suite 802-560
Incline Village, NV 89451
Phone: (775) 636-8553
Cell: (619) 495-1638
Fax: (775) 636-8430
E-mail: Means@weatherextreme.com
Web Site: www.weatherextreme.com
Dr. James Means began working with WeatherExtreme in 2011, shortly after receiving his Ph.D.
in Earth Sciences from Scripps Institution of Oceanography/UCSD. With WeatherExtreme he
has worked on a variety of forensic meteorology projects in addition to both synoptic and
seasonal forecasting. Previously he worked with meteorologists from SDG&E and the Southern
California GACC to develop the Santa Ana Wildfire Threat Index. At Scripps he developed a
novel way of using reanalysis of past weather in combination with the delays of GPS signals
traveling from satellites to receivers on the ground, in order to map out water vapor in the
atmosphere. Analysis of this data has led to better understanding of “atmospheric river” type
storms that often produce flooding in California, the onset and retreat of the North American
Monsoon onset and retreat, and the climatological aspects of water vapor distribution. As a
research scientist with Quasar Federal Systems he did field testing of a new type of lightning
detector. He has also worked on a variety of projects outside atmospheric science, including
work at Quantum Magnetics where he developed advanced land mine detectors.
EDUCATION
Ph.D. 2011
M.S. 1985
B.S. 1980
Earth Sciences Scripps Institution of Oceanography/UCSD
Physics
UC Irvine
Physics
San Diego State University
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2011 to Present
2013 to Present
2005 to 2011
2001 to 2005
2001 to 2005
2000-2001
1997-2000
1996-1997
Atmospheric Scientist, WeatherExtreme Ltd, Fallbrook, CA
Lecturer in Physics, California State University, San Marcos, CA
Graduate Student Researcher, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC
San Diego
Research Scientist, Quantum Magnetics, San Diego, California
Research Scientist, Quantum Magnetics, San Diego, California
Design Engineer, Schott Corporation, San Diego, California
Design Engineer, Pulse, San Diego, California
R&D Engineer, Integrated Microwave, San Diego
James D. Means, Ph.D.
PROFESSIONAL AWARDS & HONORS
* Winner of 2014 “June Gloom/May Gray” Forecasting Contest, Scripps Institution of
Oceanography
* Outstanding Student Paper Award, American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, 2008.
* President, American Meteorological Society San Diego Chapter
2