Monthly Newsletter of the
Central North Carolina Chapter
of the American Meteorological
Society
Volume: 7
NEXT MEETING:
Thursday, April 19, 7:15 PM.
SPEAKER:
Dr. Pascal Waniha, Postdoctoral
Research Associate, Department of
Marine Earth and Atmospheric Sciences,
North Carolina State University
LOCATION:
Room 1132, Jordan Hall, North Carolina
State University
TOPIC:
Challenges facing Tropical Cyclone
Forecast over Indian Ocean
ABSTRACT/BIO:
Number: 8
April 2012
In his presentation, “Challenges facing Tropical
Cyclone Forecast over Indian Ocean”, Dr. Waniha
will discuss challenges and various problems facing
the region in hurricane prediction. Unlike other
numerical forecasts where data assimilation is used
to improve the quality of input data for model
initialization, in hurricane forecasting, the problem
of having few ground based meteorological
observations limits the improvement of initial
conditions for the model initialization. For a region
like the Indian Ocean, where ground based
meteorological stations are limited and in most cases
do not exist at all, a traditional data assimilation
approach is likely to improve the forecast.
He will present a quick overview of various data
assimilation techniques, and on a data scarce region
like Indian Ocean, and how implementation of
additional data that assimilates a synthetic vortex to
initialize the hurricane structure through data
assimilation helped to improve the forecast of
trajectory and intensity of hurricanes.
Dr. Pascal Felix Waniha is a Postdoctoral Research
Associate in the Department of Marine Earth and
Atmospheric Sciences at North Carolina State
University, working with computer scientists on
various climate issues, including prediction of
seasonal hurricane counts and trajectories of
hurricanes over the Atlantic Ocean.
After earning his Ph.D. in Physical Mathematical
Science in Russia in 2010, he returned to his home
country, working with the Tanzania Meteorological
Agency in Tanzania/East Africa, where he played a
bigger role in operational, hurricane (tropical
cyclone) forecasting, and daily and seasonal
forecasting.
As a friendly reminder, dues are $10 ($5 for
student members) for the year, with half the
dues going towards the Academic Achievement
Fund. Dues can be paid at the monthly meeting
or sent to:
Marilyn Schiermeier
303 Glasgow Road
Cary, NC 27511
Please make checks payable to “CNCC-AMS”.
Donations to the Academic Achievement Fund
are also welcome, and are tax deductible.
NEWS
2012 Chapter Banquet Invitation
We wish to invite you and your guest(s) to join
us at our Forty-Fourth Annual Chapter Banquet
to be held on Friday, May 4, at the DoubleTree
Hilton, 1707 Hillsborough Street in Raleigh.
This is the former Holiday Inn Brownstone, a
stone's throw from the NCSU Bell Tower. You
need not be an active member of the Chapter to
attend.
Our banquet speaker will be Tony Avent,
proprietor of Plant Delights Nursery and the
Juniper Level Botanic Gardens, located in
Juniper Level, NC. Prior to the nursery
business, Tony served for sixteen years as
Landscape Director of the NC State Fairgrounds
and for nine years as volunteer curator of the
Shade Garden at the J. C. Raulston Arboretum.
He also served as a garden columnist for the
News and Observer from 1987 to 1998. Tony's
banquet presentation will deal with
meteorological interactions in terms of nursery
operations and our own horticultural efforts.
The meeting will also include the installation of
new (and used) Chapter Officers and the
presentation of Academic Achievement Awards
to local university students.
Festivities will commence with a cash-bar social
gathering at 6:30 PM. Dinner and the evening's
program will begin about 7:15 PM. The cost for
students is $15.00 each; for all others the cost is
$30.00. You may make reservations and
remittance at our March 15 and April 19
Chapter meetings or by mailing a check,
payable to CNCC-AMS, to:
Marilyn Schiermeier
303 Glasgow Road
Cary, NC 27511
We hope you will join us at the banquet to help
wrap up our Chapter's forty-fourth year and to
transition to our forty-fifth.
Frank Schiermeier, President
Central North Carolina Chapter
2012 AMS Certificates of Outstanding
Achievement
From Marvin Maddox, Education and Outreach
Coordinator:
The Central North Carolina Chapter of the AMS
awarded AMS Certificates of Outstanding
Achievement at three Science Fairs this year.
SOUTHEASTERN NC REGIONAL SCIENCE
FAIR, WILMINGTON, NC, FEBRUARY 12
(Chapter Member Frankie Vann served as our
judge)
Kevin Frink
Isaac Bear High School,Wilmington, NC
"Carbon Nanostructures via Dry Ice Exposed to
High Temperatures"
Senior Level
Jared Rosbrugh,
St. Mark Catholic School, Wilmington, NC
"Watt to Do With the Motion in the Oceans:
Energy from Waves"
Junior Level
Christine Chow and Matthew Stanbury
Isaac Bear High School, Wilmington, NC
"Slip-Stream Cyclone, Designing Hurricane
Resistant Buildings"
Senior Level
CENTRAL NC REGIONAL SCIENCE FAIR,
RALEIGH, NC, FEBRUARY 19, 2012
(Chapter Member Marvin Maddox served as the
judge)
Hunter Hammack,
Mills Park Elementary School, Cary NC
"The Effects of Winter Weather on a Honeybee's
Working Activity"
Elementary Level
Mridu Nand
Salem Middle School, Apex, NC
"Comparing the Carbon Footprint of an
American and Indian School"
Junior Level
NC STATE SCIENCE FAIR, RALEIGH, NC,
MARCH 24, 2012
(Chapter President Frank Schiermeier and
Chapter Treasurer Marilyn Schiermeier served
as judges)
meteorologists and was awarded CCM number
one.
Nominees for the Harrison award should
demonstrate expertise in weather or climate and
their applications, adherence to ethical
behavior, and a high level of service to clients
and/or the weather and climate enterprise.
Nominations are considered by the Board of
Certified Consulting Meteorologists, which
makes recommendations for final approval by
the AMS Council.
The deadline for nominations is May 1. More
information can be found at:
http://www.ametsoc.org/awards/
Rachel Purvis
Ashbrook High School, Gastonia, NC
"UV got to RAYS your Awareness"
Senior Level
Christine Chow and Matthew Stanbury
Isaac Bear High School, Wilmington, NC
"Slip-Stream Cyclone: Designing Hurricane
Resistant Buildings
Senior Level
New AMS Consulting Award
From Kelly Savoie, Manager of Marketing and
Special Programs (ksavoie@ametsoc.org):
Call for Nominations for the Henry T. Harrison
Award for Outstanding Contributions by a
Consulting Meteorologist
The Henry T. Harrison Award for Outstanding
Contributions by a Consulting Meteorologist
was established in 2011 to annually recognize a
consulting meteorologist for outstanding
contributions to the profession, clients, and
society. Henry Harrison, for whom the award is
named, was one of the founders of the
certification program for consulting
AMS Local Chapter Members Facebook
Page
Last year the AMS Local Chapter Affairs
Committee started a new AMS Local Chapter
Members Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/amslcac. We update
the page periodically with important local
chapter information that will impact both local
chapters, as well as young professional
members!
Announcements from the
Student Chapter
The Student Chapter will have their end-of-theyear picnic on April 26 from 6 PM to 8 PM
right outside of Jordan Hall (near the rock map).
During the picnic, the Student Chapter will be
announcing the officers for next year and eating
Mexican food.
For more information, please contact Student
Chapter President Ashley McCraney
(ajmccran@ncsu.edu).
March Meeting Minutes
Mark those Calendars!
Business Meeting Notes:
- 32 people were in attendance.
- Treasurer Marilyn Schiermeier noted that total
Chapter assets are $10,292.49, including
$170.00 in the Academic Achievement Fund.
Chapter membership stands at 40 individuals.
- The Chapter was saddened to note the passing
of Jim Dicke’s wife Pat. Members signed a
sympathy card for Jim.
- Member Frankie Vann reported that Roscoe
and Mary Ann Braham continue to recover.
- The Chapter CD was reinvested for one year.
- Elections for 2012-2013 Chapter Officers will
be held during the April meeting.
- Member George Bridgers announced that the
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences is
seeking volunteers to aid in the opening of the
Nature Research Center Grand Opening on
April 20.
- Member Nate Johnson announced the hiring of
Aimee Wilmoth at WRAL
-President Frank Schiermeier discussed “News
You Can Use”, an AMS publication available
for members.
Here are the tentative dates and speakers for
meetings during the 2011-2012 chapter year.
We look forward to seeing you.
Speaker Notes:
- Jonathan Blaes, Science Operations Officer,
NOAA/NWS Raleigh Forecast Office,
presented, “An 8 Year Lightning Climatology of
North Carolina”.
- Behind flooding, cloud-to-ground (CG)
lightning is the second leading cause of weather
related fatalities in the United States.
- An eight year dataset (2003-2010) from the
National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN)
was studied for eight stations in North Carolina.
- Of the eight sites, the greatest number of
strikes per year occurred at Wilmington.
Greensboro observed the fewest.
- Asheville experienced the most number of
days with lightning strikes. Elizabeth City
observed the fewest.
- Central sites observed lightning strikes later in
the day than those near the mountains or ocean.
September 15: Darin Figurskey – WFO Raleigh
October 20: Bill Reh – NBC17
November 17: Dr. Gerald Watson - NCSU
December 8: Dr. Jack Thigpen – North
Carolina Sea Grant
January 19: Jeffery White – Progress Energy
February 16: Jessica Losego -RENCI
March 15:
Jonathan Blaes – WFO Raleigh
April 19:
Paschal Waniha - NCSU
Please be aware that dates are subject to change.
We are interested in any feedback or
suggestions you may have. Please feel free to
email any of the officers with comments.
President: Frank Schiermeier
schiermeier@msn.com
Vice President: Darin Figurskey
Darin.Figurskey@noaa.gov
Treasurer: Marilyn Schiermeier
schiermeier@msn.com
Secretary: Ryan Cleary
rhcleary@hotmail.com
Education Chair: Marvin Maddox
maddoxmarvin@aol.com
Webmaster: Joseph D’Addezio
jmdaddez@ncsu.edu
From the Archives
Thirteen years ago, the first Paul A. Humphrey Meteorology Scholarship Award was presented.
Monthly Newsletter of the
Central North Carolina Chapter
of the American Meteorological
Society
Volume: 7
NEXT MEETING:
Thursday, March 15, 7:15 PM.
SPEAKER:
Jonathan Blaes, Science Operations
Officer, NOAA/NWS Raleigh Forecast
Office
LOCATION:
Room 1132, Jordan Hall, North Carolina
State University
TOPIC:
An 8 Year Lightning Climatology of North
Carolina
Number: 7
March 2012
scales across North Carolina and with
detailed analysis of eight locations in
various regions of the state.
Jonathan serves as the Science Operations
Officer at the NOAA/NWS Raleigh
Forecast Office and is a graduate of North
Carolina State University. Prior to
arriving at Raleigh in the fall of 1998,
Jonathan served at National Weather
Service Offices in Sterling, Virginia and
Albany, New York. Jonathan is married to
his wife Kim and has two daughters,
Lauren and Madison
ABSTRACT/BIO:
Jonathan will present “An 8 Year
Lightning Climatology of North Carolina”,
which will describe the distribution of
cloud-to-ground lightning across the state
both spatially and temporally. The
presentation will demonstrate how North
Carolina's convective weather is heavily
influenced by a unique and diverse set of
geophysical features, including the terrain,
complex land-sea interfaces, as well as
wide variations in soil types and land uses.
These influences will be shown across
annual, seasonal, monthly, and hourly time
As a friendly reminder, dues are $10 ($5 for
student members) for the year, with half the dues
going towards the Academic Achievement Fund.
Dues can be paid at the monthly meeting or sent
to:
Marilyn Schiermeier
303 Glasgow Road
Cary, NC 27511
Please make checks payable to “CNCC-AMS”.
Donations to the Academic Achievement Fund
are also welcome, and are tax deductible.
NEWS
Central North Carolina Chapter of AMS
Now on Facebook
In response to the ongoing discussion about ways
to improve visibility and member interaction, the
Chapter has created a Facebook page that is now
active.
The direct link to the page is:
http://www.facebook.com/CNCC.AMS and
Facebook account holders should be able to locate
the page through a search for “Central North
Carolina Chapter”.
Feedback on the page is welcome, as the Chapter
hopes this becomes a useful resource in
generating and maintaining interest in Chapter
events.
Thank you to George Bridgers for his initiative,
time, and effort to create this resource.
AMS Local Chapter Affairs Newsletter has
been Posted
From Kelly Savoie, Manager of Marketing and
Special Programs (ksavoie@ametsoc.org):
The current issue of the Local Chapter Affairs
Newsletter has been posted to the AMS Web site
at www.ametsoc.org/amschaps/newsletters.html.
If your chapter has information on upcoming
chapter events, Webinars, conferences, etc that
you would like to include in the next issue, please
email the information to
(amschaps@ametsoc.org) by March 15th.
Announcements from the
Student Chapter
The Student Chapter is in the process of
scheduling a local session of SKYWARN
training. At this time, however, no official date
for this event has been announced.
For more information, please contact Student
Chapter President Ashley McCraney
(ajmccran@ncsu.edu).
February Meeting Minutes
Mark those Calendars!
Business Meeting Notes:
- 27 people were in attendance.
- Treasurer Marilyn Schiermeier noted that total
Chapter assets are $10,282.49, including $170.00
in the Academic Achievement Fund. Chapter
membership stands at 39 individuals.
- Roscoe and Mary Ann Braham continue their
recovery from recent illnesses.
- Education Chair Marvin Maddox updated the
Chapter on members serving as judges for recent
or upcoming science fairs. Thank you to Frankie
Vann (Southeast Regional Science Fair), Marvin
Maddox (NC Science and Engineering FairCentral Region), and Frank and Marilyn
Schiermeier (NC Science and Engineering Fair)
for their time and effort.
- John White proposed providing a subscription to
“Weatherwise” magazine to the school of local
award winners. The motion was seconded, and
the vote was passed by the Chapter.
- The current Chapter CD is due March 24 and
has generated $48.78 over the past year.
- The May banquet will be held at the DoubletreeRaleigh Brownstone hotel on May 4.
- George Bridgers, in his effort to introduce strong
new initiatives, has created a Facebook page for
the Chapter. Additionally, he contacted the
AWMA for insight on a proposed trial CCNCAMS meeting in Research Triangle Park.
Here are the tentative dates and speakers for
meetings during the 2011-2012 chapter year. We
look forward to seeing you.
Speaker Notes:
- Jessica Losego, Research Scientist, University of
North Carolina Institute for the Environment,
presented, “Weather for Emergency Management
Decision Support”.
- The Emergency Management (EM) community
is complex, diverse, and has little formal weather
training.
- EM manages risk instead of hazards or impacts.
- Risk paradigm connects NWS to EM through
risk characterizations and communications.
September 15: Darin Figurskey – WFO Raleigh
October 20: Bill Reh – NBC17
November 17: Dr. Gerald Watson - NCSU
December 8: Dr. Jack Thigpen – North
Carolina Sea Grant
January 19: Jeffery White – Progress Energy
February 16: Jessica Losego -RENCI
March 15:
Jonathan Blaes – WFO Raleigh
April 19:
Paschal Waniha - NCSU
Please be aware that dates are subject to change.
We are interested in any feedback or suggestions
you may have. Please feel free to email any of the
officers with comments.
President: Frank Schiermeier
schiermeier@msn.com
Vice President: Darin Figurskey
Darin.Figurskey@noaa.gov
Treasurer: Marilyn Schiermeier
schiermeier@msn.com
Secretary: Ryan Cleary
rhcleary@hotmail.com
Education Chair: Marvin Maddox
maddoxmarvin@aol.com
Webmaster: Joseph D’Addezio
jmdaddez@ncsu.edu
From the Archives
30 years ago this month, the Chapter welcomed the speaker in the announcement below.
Monthly Newsletter of the Central North Carolina
Chapter of the American Meteorological Society
Volume: 7
Number: 6
February 2012
NEXT MEETING:
Thursday, February 16, 7:15 PM.
SPEAKER:
Jessica Losego, Research Scientist, University of North Carolina Institute for
the Environment
LOCATION:
Room 1132, Jordan Hall, North Carolina State University
TOPIC:
Increasing Readiness in North Carolina for Significant Weather Events
through Social Science
ABSTRACT/BIO:
Jessica is a meteorologist at the University of North Carolina’s Institute for the
Environment where she is the project manager for the Weather and Decision Support for
Emergency Managers work that is funded through the NWS Office of Science and
Technology. In her position she works as a liaison between the meteorology, emergency
management, and social science communities to explore ways to help improve NWS
decision support. She earned a B.S. in meteorology from Penn State University and a
M.S. in meteorology with a focus on radar meteorology from the University of
Oklahoma. In 2010 she earned a certificate in emergency management from the
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill.
Fitting with NWS's Weather Ready Nation initiative, the Weather and Emergency
Management Decision Support Project explores how to increase readiness for weather
events by examining the processes, needs, and use of weather information by the
emergency management community. This presentation will discuss how the project with
NWS headquarters began, various social science methodologies used to gather
information from the community, prototypes, and findings from tropical and winter
weather use cases conducted with emergency managers in North Carolina.
As a friendly reminder, dues are $10 ($5 for student members) for the year, with half the
dues going towards the Academic Achievement Fund. Dues can be paid at the monthly
meeting or sent to:
Marilyn Schiermeier
303 Glasgow Road
Cary, NC 27511
Please make checks payable to “CNCC-AMS”. Donations to the Academic Achievement
Fund are also welcome, and are tax deductible.
NEWS
The following is a reprint of the January article regarding the publication of Gary Lackmann’s
book.
American Meteorological Society Releases “Midlatitude Synoptic
Meteorology” by Gary Lackmann
From Kelly Savoie, Manager of Marketing and Special Programs
(ksavoie@ametsoc.org):
Midlatitude Synoptic Meteorology by Gary Lackmann
Publication Date: December 2011
360 pages paperback
To order: www.ametsoc.org/amsbookstore
List: $100, AMS Member: $75, AMS Student Member: $65
The past decade has been characterized by remarkable advances in meteorological
observation, computing techniques, and data-visualization technology. Mesoscale
Synoptic Meteorology, by Gary Lackmann, links theoretical concepts to modern
technology and facilitates the meaningful application of concepts, theories, and
techniques using real data. This latest release from AMS Books covers extratropical
cyclones and fronts, topographically trapped flows, weather forecasting, and numerical
weather prediction in depth. The volume both serves those planning careers in
meteorological research and weather prediction and provides a template for the
application of modern technology in the classroom.
“An excellent synthesis of modern midlatitude synoptic–dynamic meteorology that will
serve advanced undergraduate and graduate atmospheric science students as well as
working scientists and forecasters very well.”
—Lance Bosart, Distinguished Professor, Department of Atmospheric and
Environmental Sciences, The University at Albany, State University of New York
“Lackmann fulfills a desperate need among today's students and teachers. No book has
more approached Rossby's vision of a bridge across the gap between theory and
observation than Midlatitude Synoptic Meteorology.”
—Dave Schultz, Centre for Atmospheric Science, School of Earth, Atmospheric and
Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester
"Dr. Lackmann has given students of meteorology the gift of an outstanding up-to-date
textbook on weather analysis and forecasting. He combines the building blocks of theory
with modern observations and modeling to provide an exceptionally clear understanding
of the workings of our atmosphere."
—Steven Businger, Professor, Department of Meteorology, University of Hawaii
Gary Lackmann is a professor of atmospheric sciences in the Department of Marine,
Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences at North Carolina State University. Dr. Lackmann has
served as a faculty member at SUNY College at Brockport, a postdoctoral scholar at
McGill University in Montreal, and a research meteorologist with the Naval
Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. He has worked at NOAA’s Pacific Marine
Environmental Lab in Seattle, and has undertaken extensive collaborations with the
National Weather Service.
Announcements from the Student Chapter
The Student Chapter will hold its next meeting on Wednesday, February 22nd at 6:00 PM
in Jordan Hall room 1214. The meeting will feature a presentation from Lee Ringer,
Broadcast Meteorologist at News 14 Carolina.
For more information, please contact Student Chapter President Ashley McCraney
(ajmccran@ncsu.edu).
January Meeting Minutes
Business Meeting Notes:
- 21 people were in attendance.
- Treasurer Marilyn Schiermeier noted that total Chapter assets are $10,272.49, including
$170.00 in the Academic Achievement Fund. Chapter membership stands at 38
individuals.
- Education Chair Marvin Maddox is seeking members interested in serving as judges for
the State Science Fair.
- Marvin Maddox is also accepting suggestions for recipients of the annual Student
Achievement Awards.
- President Frank Schiermeier addressed members about the current state of the Chapter.
He announced that the Executive Committee is seeking volunteers to serve in the
President and Vice President positions. Without volunteers, the Chapter will have its last
meeting at the May banquet, at which time the Chapter will be placed on inactive status.
Should there be no additional progress, the Chapter would be dissolved at the end of
2012.
- Following Frank’s announcement, Chapter members discussed ways to improve
attendance and participation. Suggestions included varying meeting times and locations,
creating a social media presence, and broadening the scope of the Chapter.
Speaker Notes:
- Jeffery White, Senior Nuclear Emergency Preparedness Specialist, Harris Nuclear
Plant, was not able to attend the meeting. Instead, Chapter Vice President Darin
Figurskey, Meteorologist-in-Charge, NWS Raleigh, presented, “Using the Winter
Weather Nomogram””.
- New climate normals, spanning 1981 to 2010, are now available and in use.
-The TREND technique uses the Partial Thickness Predominant P-type Nomogram to
forecast precipitation type. It is an empirically based method of comparing precipitation
type with sounding data.
Mark those Calendars!
Here are the tentative dates and speakers for meetings during the 2011-2012 chapter year.
We look forward to seeing you.
September 15: Darin Figurskey – WFO Raleigh
October 20: Bill Reh – NBC17
November 17: Dr. Gerald Watson - NCSU
December 8: Dr. Jack Thigpen – North
Carolina Sea Grant
January 19: Jeffery White – Progress Energy
February 16: Jessica Losego -RENCI
March 15:
Jonathan Blaes – WFO Raleigh
April 19:
Paschal Waniha - NCSU
Please be aware that dates are subject to change.
We are interested in any feedback or suggestions you may have. Please feel free to email
any of the officers with comments.
President: Frank Schiermeier
schiermeier@msn.com
Vice President: Darin Figurskey
Darin.Figurskey@noaa.gov
Treasurer: Marilyn Schiermeier
schiermeier@msn.com
Secretary: Ryan Cleary
rhcleary@hotmail.com
Education Chair: Marvin Maddox
maddoxmarvin@aol.com
Webmaster: Joseph D’Addezio
jmdaddez@ncsu.edu
From the Archives
Do you recall the election of officers for the 1979-1980 Chapter year? Which candidates received your
votes?
Monthly Newsletter of the Central North Carolina
Chapter of the American Meteorological Society
Volume: 7
Number: 5
January 2012
NEXT MEETING:
Thursday, January 19, 7:15 PM.
SPEAKER:
Jeffery White, Senior Nuclear Emergency Preparedness Specialist, Harris
Nuclear Plant
LOCATION:
Room 1132, Jordan Hall, North Carolina State University
TOPIC:
Meteorology and its Effect on Radioactive Dispersion Models
ABSTRACT/BIO:
Jeffery White is a United States Navy Submarine Veteran (SSN 637) and has been
working in commercial nuclear power for 22 years. He is currently employed as a
Senior Nuclear Emergency Preparedness Specialist with Progress Energy at the Harris
Nuclear Plant as the Drill and Exercise Developer.
In his presentation, “Meteorology and its Effect on Radioactive Dispersion Models”,
Jeffery will discuss how slight weather changes can cause large differences in the
dispersion of radioactive material during an accident scenario. He will present a quick
look at how that dispersion can be determined and the correct radioactive exposure
calculated for plume phase and intermediate phase radioactive releases.
As a friendly reminder, dues are $10 ($5 for student members) for the year, with half the dues
going towards the Academic Achievement Fund. Dues can be paid at the monthly meeting or
sent to:
Marilyn Schiermeier
303 Glasgow Road
Cary, NC 27511
Please make checks payable to “CNCC-AMS”. Donations to the Academic Achievement Fund
are also welcome, and are tax deductible.
NEWS
American Meteorological Society Releases “Midlatitude Synoptic
Meteorology” by Gary Lackmann
From Kelly Savoie, Manager of Marketing and Special Programs
(ksavoie@ametsoc.org):
Midlatitude Synoptic Meteorology by Gary Lackmann
Publication Date: December 2011
360 pages paperback
To order: www.ametsoc.org/amsbookstore
List: $100, AMS Member: $75, AMS Student Member: $65
The past decade has been characterized by remarkable advances in meteorological observation,
computing techniques, and data-visualization technology. Mesoscale Synoptic Meteorology, by
Gary Lackmann, links theoretical concepts to modern technology and facilitates the meaningful
application of concepts, theories, and techniques using real data. This latest release from AMS
Books covers extratropical cyclones and fronts, topographically trapped flows, weather
forecasting, and numerical weather prediction in depth. The volume both serves those planning
careers in meteorological research and weather prediction and provides a template for the
application of modern technology in the classroom.
“An excellent synthesis of modern midlatitude synoptic–dynamic meteorology that will serve
advanced undergraduate and graduate atmospheric science students as well as working scientists
and forecasters very well.”
—Lance Bosart, Distinguished Professor, Department of Atmospheric and Environmental
Sciences, The University at Albany, State University of New York
“Lackmann fulfills a desperate need among today's students and teachers. No book has more
approached Rossby's vision of a bridge across the gap between theory and observation than
Midlatitude Synoptic Meteorology.”
—Dave Schultz, Centre for Atmospheric Science, School of Earth, Atmospheric and
Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester
"Dr. Lackmann has given students of meteorology the gift of an outstanding up-to-date textbook
on weather analysis and forecasting. He combines the building blocks of theory with modern
observations and modeling to provide an exceptionally clear understanding of the workings of
our atmosphere."
—Steven Businger, Professor, Department of Meteorology, University of Hawaii
Gary Lackmann is a professor of atmospheric sciences in the Department of Marine, Earth, and
Atmospheric Sciences at North Carolina State University. Dr. Lackmann has served as a faculty
member at SUNY College at Brockport, a postdoctoral scholar at McGill University in Montreal,
and a research meteorologist with the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. He
has worked at NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Lab in Seattle, and has undertaken
extensive collaborations with the National Weather Service.
Announcements from the Student Chapter
The Student Chapter will hold its next meeting on Thursday, January 26th at 6:00 PM in Jordan
Hall room 1214. The meeting will feature a presentation from Accuweather and the Climate
Office.
For more information, please contact Student Chapter President Ashley McCraney
(ajmccran@ncsu.edu).
December Meeting Minutes
Business Meeting Notes:
- 19 people were in attendance.
- Treasurer Marilyn Schiermeier noted that total Chapter assets are $10,227.49, including
$155.00 in the Academic Achievement Fund. Chapter membership stands at 36
individuals.
- President Frank Schiermeier updated the Chapter on Roscoe Braham’s condition
following a hip injury. Members signed a get-well card to pass along best wishes for a
quick recovery.
- Student Chapter President Ashley McCraney, Patrick Devore, and Clifford Felton, all
students at North Carolina State University, will represent our Chapter at the AMS
Annual Meeting Chapter Breakfast.
- Frank Schiermeier offered highlights of a presentation on global warming by Orin
Pilkey.
Speaker Notes:
- Dr. John (Jack) Thigpen, Extension Director, North Carolina Sea Grant presented,
“North Carolina Sea Grant and its Work in Climate and Education along the North
Carolina Coast”.
- Sea Grant is a state and federal partnership and part of NOAA, with a mission of
research, extension and education, and communication.
- Four areas of focus include promoting healthy coastal ecosystems, hazard resilience in
coastal communities, sustainable coastal development, and ensuring a safe and
sustainable seafood supply.
- As only 5% to 7% of seafood sold in North Carolina is from North Carolina, creating
stronger awareness and demand for local seafood is a long-term goal. North Carolina Sea
Grant works with local businesses to improve business models and branding initiatives to
achieve success.
- Working with NWS-Raleigh and NWS-Newport/Morehead City, North Carolina Sea
Grant has created the Coastal and Inland Flooding Observation and Warning Project (CIFLOW) to model precipitation from the rivers to the sea.
Mark those Calendars!
Here are the tentative dates and speakers for meetings during the 2011-2012 chapter year.
We look forward to seeing you.
September 15: Darin Figurskey – WFO Raleigh
October 20: Bill Reh – NBC17
November 17: Dr. Gerald Watson - NCSU
December 8: Dr. Jack Thigpen – North
Carolina Sea Grant
January 19: Jeffery White – Progress Energy
February 16: Jessica Losego -RENCI
March 15:
Jonathan Blaes – WFO Raleigh
April 19:
Paschal Waniha - NCSU
Please be aware that dates are subject to change.
We are interested in any feedback or suggestions you may have. Please feel free to email
any of the officers with comments.
President: Frank Schiermeier
schiermeier@msn.com
Vice President: Darin Figurskey
Darin.Figurskey@noaa.gov
Treasurer: Marilyn Schiermeier
schiermeier@msn.com
Secretary: Ryan Cleary
rhcleary@hotmail.com
Education Chair: Marvin Maddox
maddoxmarvin@aol.com
Webmaster: Joseph D’Addezio
jmdaddez@ncsu.edu
From the Archives
Did you attend the 25th anniversary banquet in 1993? Do you recall the performance by “Showbiz”?
Perhaps the program below will bring the memories back.
Monthly Newsletter of the
Central North Carolina Chapter
of the American Meteorological
Society
Volume: 7
NEXT MEETING: Thursday, December
8, 7:15 PM.
SPEAKER: Dr. John (Jack) Thigpen,
Extension Director, North Carolina Sea
Grant
LOCATION: Room 1132, Jordan Hall,
North Carolina State University
TOPIC: North Carolina Sea Grant and
its Work in Climate and Education along
the North Carolina Coast.
ABSTRACT/BIO:
North Carolina Sea Grant is a partnership between
NOAA and the state of North Carolina, providing
research, education, and outreach opportunities
relating to current issues affecting the North Carolina
coast and its communities. Since 1970, North Carolina
Sea Grant has prided itself on being a valuable
resource for scientists, educators, local officials,
government agencies, coastal businesses and the
public to find unbiased, scientifically sound
information about the state's coastal ecosystems.
In recent years a focus on coastal hazards including
storm surge and inland flooding as well has more
gradual environmental changes due to climate change
have been a focus of Sea Grant funded research and
extension programming.
As extension director, Jack Thigpen oversees Sea
Grant’s extension and education specialists and
Number: 4
December 2011
activities. His expertise includes researching the
sociological and economic impacts of coastal
recreation and tourism on communities, and he is
associate faculty in the Department of Sociology and
Anthropology at North Carolina State University.
Thigpen has received numerous awards and
recognition for his multidisciplinary work, including
chairing the National Sea Grant Assembly of
Extension Program and helping lead the creation of the
South East Coastal Ocean Observing System
(SEACOOS), a collaborative university partnership to
collect, manage, and disseminate integrated regional
ocean observations and information about southeastern
coastlines. Thigpen is the past president and recipient
of the excellence in extension award from the
Southern Rural Sociological Association, and was a
rural affairs fellow for the U.S. Department of
Agriculture.
Before becoming extension director, Thigpen worked
as a coastal recreation and tourism specialist for North
Carolina Sea Grant and earlier as an associate
professor of rural sociology at Texas A&M University.
He holds a doctorate in sociology from the University
of Kentucky, a master’s degree in agricultural
economics and a bachelor’s degree in agricultural
business, both from the University of Tennessee.
As a friendly reminder, dues are $10 ($5 for student
members) for the year, with half the dues going towards the
Academic Achievement Fund. Dues can be paid at the
monthly meeting or sent to:
Marilyn Schiermeier
303 Glasgow Road
Cary, NC 27511
Please make checks payable to “CNCC-AMS”. Donations
to the Academic Achievement Fund are also welcome, and
are tax deductible.
NEWS
American Meteorological Society Space
Weather Short Course
From Kelly Savoie, Manager of Marketing and
Special Programs (ksavoie@ametsoc.org):
Have you ever wondered what is a solar flare and
why I need to know about it? At the January 2012
AMS Annual Meeting, for the first time, we are
offering a short course on space weather
.
The AMS Space Weather Short Course: What is it
and who needs to know about it?, will be held on
22 January 2012 preceding the 92nd AMS Annual
Meeting in New Orleans, LA
.
Space weather affects many aspects of modern
society. Professionals in the atmospheric science
disciplines will benefit from understanding its
sources and how it affects national infrastructure
and aspects of daily life. Radio frequency
communications, high-flying airliners, and
national power grids are a few of the high-tech
systems affected by space weather phenomena.
Local and national planners, as well as system
designers must account for the possible
disruptions and interference caused by
electromagnetic waves and charged particles
spewing from our Sun and arriving from deep
space daily. Common system elements such as
Global Positioning System receivers and cell
phones react to some solar emissions, degrading
service for a time.
The short course will describe the sources of
space weather disturbances (solar flares, coronal
mass ejections, energetic particles, ionospheric
storms) and their potential to disrupt regional and
global systems. It will describe the developing
models at NOAA’s National Space Weather
Prediction Center (SWPC), the federal agency
charged with warning the public of potentially
damaging space weather events. It will also cover
concepts relating space weather to terrestrial
weather.
The goal of the course is to provide sufficient
background information be able to: Define space
weather; know the primary sources of space
weather and which regions of Earth’s atmosphere
and geospace are affected by space weather;
know the characteristics times of space weather
disturbances; be able to describe which systems
and signals are affected by space weather
disturbances and be able to link these to the
NOAA Space Weather Scales; be able to read
NOAA SWPC forecast and warnings; describe
links between terrestrial and space weather.
The target audience is meteorologists who
potentially receive, use and convey space weather
information to the public, and or, their clients.
This course will be presented as “101 level”
offering geared toward (a) an audience of
meteorologists who are seeking a background in
space weather phenomena and impacts; (b)
government and academic meteorologists whose
work extends to the upper atmosphere.
Undergraduate and graduate students wishing to
learn more about space weather and seeking to
enter the discipline are also encouraged to attend.
The course consists of one day of interactive
lectures. The course will be instructed by experts
drawn from academia, and national research
organizations and operational agencies.
Prof Delores Knipp, University of Colorado. She
will be joined by: Bob Rutledge Chief Forecaster,
NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center and
McArthur Jones, Aerospace Engineering,
University of Colorado, Boulder, CO. “Hands
on” material will be provided on a course CD
and, most likely, via the internet.
Attendees will benefit from viewing the UCAR
COMET material on introduction to space
weather before the short course. This material
introduces vocabulary unique to space weather
and space environment. (SpaceWeather Welcome-No Quiz
http://www.meted.ucar.edu/topics_spacewx.php).
Announcements from the Student
Chapter
Attendees will receive a copy of “The Sun, The
Earth and Near-Earth Space: A Guide to the SunEarth System,” by John A. Eddy.
The Student Chapter will hold its next meeting on
Thursday, January 26th at 6:00 PM in Jordan Hall
room 1214. The meeting will feature a presentation
from Accuweather.
Pre-registered AMS student members may be
eligible for a course fee waiver (funds are limited
and available on a first-come, first-served basis).
Students should send a statement of interest along
with an advisor's statement of support to
delores.knipp@colorado.edu by 31 December
2011.
For more information, please contact Student Chapter
President Ashley McCraney (ajmccran@ncsu.edu).
For more information, please contact Delores
Knipp at CU Aerospace Engineering, 626
Engineering Center Office Tower, 429 UCB,
Boulder, CO 80909 (email:
delores.knipp@colorado.edu).
November Meeting Minutes
Mark those Calendars!
Business Meeting Notes:
- 23 people were in attendance.
- Treasurer Marilyn Schiermeier noted that total
Chapter assets are $10,217.49, including $155.00
in the Academic Achievement Fund. Chapter
membership stands at 35 individuals.
- Member John White reviewed the Chapter’s
participation at the North Carolina Science
Teachers Association meeting in Greensboro.
Members of the NWS Forecast Office in Raleigh,
including Darin Figurskey and Brandon Vincent,
displayed interesting materials about the April
tornado outbreak. John recommended an
increased Chapter presence at future meetings.
- President Frank Schiermeier reviewed the four
incoming N.C. State students recently receiving
scholarship awards from the AMS.
- Discussion about the May banquet location was
initiated. Suggestions included Irregardless Café
and returning to the Holiday Inn Brownstone.
- Student Chapter President Ashley McCraney
will again represent our Chapter at the AMS
Annual Meeting Chapter Breakfast.
- Member Bob Medred recommended members
read a paper regarding the state of climate science.
Here are the tentative dates and speakers for
meetings during the 2011-2012 chapter year. We
look forward to seeing you.
Speaker Notes:
- Dr. Gerald (Jerry) Watson, retired Associate
Professor of Meteorology, Department of Marine,
Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina
State University, presented, “Planetary
Meteorology – Fundamentals, Key Discoveries,
Future Research”.
- Jerry discussed the various ways (accretion,
solar nebula, solar wind, comet/asteroid) a
planetary atmosphere is created by focusing on
the four inner planets.
- Temperature and gravity primarily determine the
makeup of gases in an atmosphere.
- Differences in planetary characteristics influence
the nature of atmospheric circulation.
- Hadley cell location and intensities differ
between Venus, Earth, and Mars.
September 15: Darin Figurskey – WFO Raleigh
October 20: Bill Reh – NBC17
November 17: Dr. Gerald Watson - NCSU
December 8: Dr. Jack Thigpen – North
Carolina Sea Grant
January 19: Mitch Burton – Progress Energy
February 16: Jessica Losego -RENCI
March 15:
Jonathan Blaes – WFO Raleigh
April 19:
Paschal Waniha - NCSU
Please be aware that dates are subject to change.
We are interested in any feedback or suggestions
you may have. Please feel free to email any of the
officers with comments.
President: Frank Schiermeier
schiermeier@msn.com
Vice President: Darin Figurskey
Darin.Figurskey@noaa.gov
Treasurer: Marilyn Schiermeier
schiermeier@msn.com
Secretary: Ryan Cleary
rhcleary@hotmail.com
Education Chair: Marvin Maddox
maddoxmarvin@aol.com
Webmaster: Joseph D’Addezio
jmdaddez@ncsu.edu
From the Archives
Success! The Central North Carolina Chapter receives approval!
Monthly Newsletter of the
Central North Carolina
Chapter of the American
Meteorological Society
Volume: 7
2011
NEXT MEETING: Thursday, November
17, 7:15 PM.
SPEAKER: Dr. Gerald (Jerry) Watson,
retired Associate Professor of
Meteorology, Department of Marine,
Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, North
Carolina State University
LOCATION: Room 1132, Jordan Hall,
North Carolina State University
TOPIC: Planetary Meteorology- Some
Fundamentals, Key Discoveries, and
Future Research
ABSTRACT/BIO:
Dr. Gerald Watson received his undergraduate meteorology
education from the Pennsylvania State University, and did
graduate work at the University of Chicago and Florida
State University. Jerry arrived at N.C. State University in
1972 during the early formation of the meteorology
program, then in the Geosciences Department. This new
program was initiated and promoted by Professor Walter
Saucier. After some 27 years of teaching undergraduate and
graduate courses, Jerry retired in 1999. Jerry has continued
his decades-long hobby of amateur astronomy. His interest
in planetary atmospheres results from his fascination with
the sciences of meteorology and planetary astronomy.
The goal of this presentation is to describe the major
structure of, and important phenomena within, the
atmospheres of the six planets and one moon that possess a
substantial gaseous envelope, besides the Earth. This goal
requires selectivity of topics with an emphasis on relatively
recent discoveries.
Number: 3
November
The talk begins with a brief discussion of the origin of
planetary atmospheres and the evolution of the gaseous
components. The solar heating distribution across a planet,
coupled with rotation rate and other factors, will be
considered in order to anticipate the atmosphere’s
circulation pattern. The motion within the massive superhot atmosphere of Venus is suggested by the ultraviolet
cloud patterns at 50 km altitude, while recent infrared
observations of much lower clouds have revealed the
circulation around the planet’s South Pole. Venus’s
atmosphere is probably the Solar System’s most enigmatic.
Mars continues to fascinate us with the discovery of water
flowing down the slopes of some sunlit crater walls, and of
buried CO2 ice whose sublimation in a global warming
event would double the atmospheric pressure. The Gas
Giants (Jupiter and Saturn) have recently produced some
remarkable changes in cloud pattern. These atmospheres
also produce familiar phenomena like thunderstorms and
aurora, but on a spectacular scale. The Ice Giants (Uranus
and Neptune) surprise us with active atmospheres in spite of
incredibly cold temperatures. Saturn’s largest moon, Titan,
possesses a unique atmosphere heavier than the Earth’s and
composed mainly of hydrocarbons. ‘Oily’ clouds produce
methane rain, enough to fill large lakes.
Some spacecraft presently planet-bound, and a few
proposed missions to study planetary atmospheres, will be
described.
As a friendly reminder, dues are $10 ($5 for student
members) for the year, with half the dues going towards the
Academic Achievement Fund. Dues can be paid at the
monthly meeting or sent to:
Marilyn Schiermeier
303 Glasgow Road
Cary, NC 27511
Please make checks payable to “CNCC-AMS”. Donations
to the Academic Achievement Fund are also welcome, and
are tax deductible.
NEWS
American Meteorological Society
Announces 2010-2011 Chapter of the Year
Awards
From Kelly Savoie, Manager of Marketing and Special
Programs (ksavoie@ametsoc.org):
We are happy to announce the Chapter of the Year
Award winners for 2010-2011. Every year the Local
Chapter Affairs Committee is tasked with choosing the
winners for this award (both student and regular
chapters) and once again this year's applicants were
outstanding. With so many impressive applicants, the
job of selecting winners for this award is a difficult
one.
Chapter of the Year: Omaha-Offutt
"for increasing membership diversification,
communicating membership information in unique
ways, and continuing community outreach with a
myriad of activities including the support of student
research."
Student Chapter of the Year: University of Puerto
Rico at Mayaguez
"for building a regional community of Weather
Awareness through communication with educators,
contributions to a variety of local charities, outreach,
and novel approaches to membership integration."
I
Chapter Honor Roll:
Iowa State University
Millersville University
Ohio University
Oklahoma University
Southwest Pennsylvania
University of Alabama-Huntsville
West Central Florida
Thank you to all the chapters who submitted
applications for the award! The nomination deadline
for the 2011-2012 awards is 1 May 2012.
Distinguished Educator Recognition
Award
The Board of Outreach and Pre-college Education
(BOPE) of the American Meteorological Society
(AMS) is pleased to announce the beginning of the
Annual Distinguished Educator Recognition Program.
Many educators working in both formal and informal
educational settings have displayed excellence and
innovation in the promotion of Weather, the Ocean,
Climate, the Water Cycle and Space Weather Studies.
It is these educators the Board of Outreach and Precollege Education wish to honor.
If you know an educator that has a passion for
education in the areas of the Weather, the Ocean, the
Climate, the Water Cycle, Space Weather, or the
Earth as a System and can provide evidence of how
they have demonstrated this, please nominate them for
one of three categories:
1) K-12 Teacher - for those who have demonstrated
excellence and innovation in teaching about these
Earth Science topics.
2) Outstanding Service to Pre-college Education - for
people or programs that have shown strong support
for these Earth Science topics in the form of advocacy,
curriculum development, or workshop leadership.
3) Outstanding non-formal education - for educators
or programs, which have made significant efforts to
educate the general public about these Earth Science
topics.
Nominations may be submitted online at
http://www.ametsoc.org/boardpges/bope/distinguisede
ducatorrecognition.html. Please note anyone can
nominate someone, including yourself. Nominations
are now open and must be submitted by November 15.
Announcements from the Student
Chapter
The Student Chapter will hold its next meeting on
Thursday, November 10th at 6:00 PM in Jordan Hall
room 1214. The meeting will feature a graduate
student panel and a speaker from the Air Force
Reserves.
For more information, please contact Student Chapter
President Ashley McCraney (ajmccran@ncsu.edu).
AMS Scholarship Recipients to Attend North Carolina State University
The September 2011 issue of BAMS has recognized the following students with plans to attend North Carolina
State University to study atmospheric science.
October Meeting Minutes
Business Meeting Notes:
- 32 people were in attendance.
- Treasurer Marilyn Schiermeier noted that total
Chapter assets are $10,107.69, including $95.00
in the Academic Achievement Fund. Chapter
membership stands at 32 individuals.
- Member John White reminded the Chapter of
the North Carolina Science Teachers Association
meeting to be held November 10th and 11th at the
Koury Convention Center in Greensboro. Several
members, including Darin Figurskey, Brandon
Locklear, and Ashley McCraney, will attend the
meeting to represent the Chapter.
- President Frank Schiermeier ordered and
received another year’s worth of AMS mugs as
tokens of appreciation for future speakers.
Speaker Notes:
- Bill Reh, Morning Meteorologist, NBC-17,
presented, “A Day in the Life of an On-Air Early
Morning Meteorologist”.
- Bill described the journey to Raleigh, including
gaining experience broadcasting weather as a
student at Northern Illinois University, his first
job after college in Beaumont, Texas, and
presenting the noon and six newscasts in
Evanston, Indiana.
- During a year away from broadcasting as part of
a non-compete, while working as a stock broker,
Bill realized that meteorology was what motivated
him and brought him joy, and returned to
broadcasting at the WB network.
- While delivering the nightly weather broadcast
as the WB, Bill realized that he missed spending
time with his family and preferred working
morning shifts.
- Bill obtained a morning position in Raleigh
through his connections while working freelance
at WFMY in Greensboro.
- Bill has noticed the change in morning weather
broadcasting through the years, mentioning that
current broadcasts are more frequent, but much
shorter, making it difficult to discuss
meteorology.
Mark those Calendars!
Here are the tentative dates and speakers for
meetings during the 2011-2012 chapter year. We
look forward to seeing you.
September 15: Darin Figurskey – WFO Raleigh
October 20: Bill Reh – NBC17
November 17: Dr. Gerald Watson - NCSU
December 8: Dr. Jack Thigpen – North
Carolina Sea Grant
January 20: Mitch Burton – Progress Energy
February 16: Jessica Losego -RENCI
March 15:
Jonathan Blaes – WFO Raleigh
April 19:
Paschal Waniha - NCSU
Please be aware that dates are subject to change.
We are interested in any feedback or suggestions
you may have. Please feel free to email any of the
officers with comments.
President: Frank Schiermeier
schiermeier@msn.com
Vice President: Darin Figurskey
Darin.Figurskey@noaa.gov
Treasurer: Marilyn Schiermeier
schiermeier@msn.com
Secretary: Ryan Cleary
rhcleary@hotmail.com
Education Chair: Marvin Maddox
maddoxmarvin@aol.com
Webmaster: Joseph D’Addezio
jmdaddez@ncsu.edu
From the Archives
As part of the application process, members of the proposed Central North Carolina Chapter developed the Local
Chapter Petition document below. This document was signed by some of the attendees of the Blair House Luncheon,
held two days earlier.
Monthly Newsletter of the Central North Carolina
Chapter of the American Meteorological Society
Volume: 7
Number: 2
October 2011
UPCOMING EVENTS:
NEXT MEETING: Thursday, October 20, 7:15 PM.
SPEAKER: Bill Reh, Morning Meteorologist, NBC-17
LOCATION: Room 1132, Jordan Hall North Carolina State University
TOPIC: A Day in the Life of an On-Air Early Morning Meteorologist
ABSTRACT/BIO:
Bill Reh has been forecasting the weather in central North Carolina since 1983.
Weekday mornings you can see him on NBC-17 Today starting at 4:30 a.m.
Bill spent 13 years working and forecasting the weather at WTVD in Durham, covering
such weather events as the Red Springs killer tornado outbreak of 1984, the deadly
Raleigh tornado of November 1988, and Hurricane Fran in 1996. He also wrote and
produced the exhibit: "Ask a Meteorologist" for the N.C. Museum of Life and Science in
Durham.
Bill then worked at WB22 in Raleigh for five years forecasting, as well as covering
Hurricane Floyd and the Snow Storm of the Century in 2000. He also initiated the first
ozone maps to be used graphically in the country and presented a tutorial video at the
2003 National Air Quality Conference in San Antonio.
Bill graduated from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois, with a double major
in meteorology and broadcasting. He earned the American Meteorological Society
Television Seal of Approval in 1984. He has taught continuing education classes on the
weather at Duke University and has visited literally thousands of school children
throughout the years explaining the hows and whys of weather.
When he is not forecasting the weather for NBC-17, Bill enjoys cooking, exercising (so
he can eat), spending time with his family, and when the weather is nice, being outdoors.
Bill will be sharing his experiences as an on-air meteorologist. Bill will discuss what a
day in the life of an early morning on-air meteorologist is like, including forecast
preparation, demands of social media, what happens in the big events, and other
challenges. Bill will also share some career advice for students considering the media.
As a friendly reminder, dues are $10 ($5 for student members) for the year, with half the dues going
towards the Academic Achievement Fund. Dues can be paid at the monthly meeting or sent to:
Marilyn Schiermeier
303 Glasgow Road
Cary, NC 27511
Please make checks payable to “CNCC-AMS”. Donations to the Academic Achievement Fund are also
welcome, and are tax deductible.
NEWS
American Meteorological Society Announces 2012 AMS/Industry Minority
Scholarships
From Donna Fernandez, Development and Student Program Manger
(dfernandez@ametsoc.org):
The American Meteorological Society is pleased to announce the 2012 AMS/Industry
Minority Scholarships. Now entering its nineteenth year, the scholarship is intended to
help support college education for minority students traditionally underrepresented in
the sciences, especially Hispanic/Latino, American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African
American, and Native Hawaiian Students, who intend to pursue careers in the
atmospheric or related oceanic and hydrologic sciences. The two-year scholarships,
funded by industry and through donations made by members to the AMS 21st Century
Campaign, are for $3000 during the freshman year and $3000 during the sophomore
year (second year funding depends on successful completion of the first academic year).
Minority students who will be entering their freshman year of college in the fall of 2012
are eligible to apply.
Thanks to your assistance, we have had a successful eighteen years. Since the inception
of the program, we have awarded the scholarships to over one hundred outstanding
students. I hope that all of you will again assist in the distribution of information about
this important program. The AMS web site includes a link to the information and
application. The following link is provided for your convenience:
http://www.ametsoc.org/amsstudentinfo/scholfeldocs/index.html We have also asked
AMS Television and Radio Seal holders and teachers associated with the AMS K-13
programs to help with getting the information out about the minority scholarship
program.
In addition to having local chapters help with the distribution of information concerning
this scholarship program, we have asked six local chapters to help with the collection
and initial screening of the applications. The application form lists the local chapters
that will receive the scholarship applications this year. Please inform the teachers
and/or students that the completed application should be sent to the listed chapter
nearest them, and to send a photocopy of the application materials to AMS
Headquarters. If your chapter is interested in assisting with the review process in the
future, please contact Donna Fernandez at AMS Headquarters.
Information on all AMS fellowship and scholarship programs is available on the Internet
at: http://www.ametsoc.org and can be found by navigating through the student resource
page. Thank you for your time and support. If you have any questions, please send me
an email or call me directly at 617-226-3907.
AMS-NCIM Webinar Invitation: What is a Certified Consulting
Meteorologist?
From Kelly Savoie, Manager of Marketing and Special Programs
(ksavoie@ametsoc.org):
Join AMS and the National Council of Industrial Meteorologists (NCIM) for a Webinar
on October 25th.
Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/251218409
Have you ever heard of the Certified Consulting Meteorologist (CCM) program? For this
Webinar, we are privileged that Dr. Bernard Meisner, the current Chair of the American
Meteorological Society (AMS) Board for Certified Consulting Meteorologists (CCM),
has volunteered to present an overview of the CCM program including its
administration, requirements and professional benefits.
The designation by the American Meteorological Society (AMS) as a CCM is a
significant accomplishment for a professional meteorologist. CCMs can be found in
private practice, as experts in private industries, in academia, and in government
agencies. Some CCMs are full-time consultants while others undertake consulting over
and above their regular employment.
Dr. Meisner is a CCM and currently serves as the Chief, Science & Training for the
National Weather Service (NWS) Southern Region. He received his Ph.D. in Meteorology
from the University of Hawaii in 1978, M.S. in Meteorology from University of Hawaii in
1976, and a B.S in Physics and German from Carnegie Mellon University in 1971. Dr.
Meisner has been a member of the AMS since 1976, and was elected a Fellow of the
Society in 1998. He is a past vice president and current councilor of the National
Weather Association (NWA). He was honored as the NWA Member of the Year in 2000.
This Webinar is co-sponsored by the AMS Board for Private Sector Meteorologists and
the National Council of Industrial Meteorologists (NCIM).
Title: What is a Certified Consulting Meteorologist?
Date: Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Time: 3:00 PM - 3:45 PM EDT
After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about
joining the Webinar.
Announcements from the Student Chapter
The Student Chapter will hold its next meeting on Thursday, October 13th at 6:00 PM in
Jordan Hall room 1132. Dr. Anatha Aiyyer, Dr. Matthew Parker, Dr. Markus Petters, and
Dr. Lian Xie will give presentations to the group.
For more information, please contact Student Chapter President Ashley McCraney
(ajmccran@ncsu.edu).
September Meeting Minutes
Business Meeting Notes:
- 39 people were in attendance.
- Treasurer Marilyn Schiermeier noted that total Chapter assets are $9,874.49, including
$30.00 in the Academic Achievement Fund. Chapter membership stands at 18
individuals.
- Chapter President Frank Schiermeier opened the 44th year of the Chapter with a
welcome, introductions of the officers and Student Chapter President Ashley McCraney,
and a review of the May banquet, attended by 35 participants at the now closed Bavarian
Brathaus in Cary.
- Member John White informed the Chapter of the North Carolina Science Teachers
Association meeting to be held November 10th and 11th at the Koury Convention Center
in Greensboro. John offered to help pay for a booth at the meeting if staffed by
volunteers.
Speaker Notes:
- Darin Figurskey, Meteorologist-in-Charge, National Weather Service Forecast Office Raleigh, presented, “April 16, 2011 Carolina Tornado Outbreak”.
- 30 tornadoes touched down, although none were evaluated at EF-4 intensity.
- The Storm Prediction Center had a 30% high risk outlook for April 16th, which was
only the third high risk tornado day for Central North Carolina since May 28, 1984 (the
others being May 3, 1984 and March 29, 1991).
- A tornado watch was issued at 12:05 PM as the environment was influenced by a strong
low over the Upper Midwest and an associated cold front extending south, strong upperlevel winds and low-level moisture, and low LCLs.
- A line of storms transitioned into individual supercells and strong velocity and
reflectivity signatures became observable on radar.
- The Raleigh NWS office was forced to inform the Blacksburg, Virginia NWS office of
the need for an evacuation in response to a rain-wrapped EF-3 tornado, based on damage
in Sanford, which passed through Raleigh around 3:50 PM.
Mark those Calendars!
Here are the tentative dates and speakers for meetings during the 2011-2012 chapter year.
We look forward to seeing you.
September 15: Darin Figurskey – WFO Raleigh
October 20: Bill Reh – NBC17
November 17: Dr. Gerald Watson - NCSU
December 8: Dr. Jack Thigpen – North
Carolina Sea Grant
January 20: Mitch Burton – Progress Energy
February 16: Jessica Losego -RENCI
March 15:
Jonathan Blaes – WFO Raleigh
April 19:
Paschal Waniha - NCSU
Please be aware that dates are subject to change.
We are interested in any feedback or suggestions you may have. Please feel free to email
any of the officers with comments.
President: Frank Schiermeier
schiermeier@msn.com
Vice President: Darin Figurskey
Darin.Figurskey@noaa.gov
Treasurer: Marilyn Schiermeier
schiermeier@msn.com
Secretary: Ryan Cleary
rhcleary@hotmail.com
Education Chair: Marvin Maddox
maddoxmarvin@aol.com
Webmaster: Joseph D’Addezio
jmdaddez@ncsu.edu
From the Archives
We continue our trip down memory lane with a list of attendees at the Blair House Luncheon on October
16, 1968, two days prior to the date on the proposal document in September’s newsletter.
Monthly Newsletter of the Central North Carolina
Chapter of the American Meteorological Society
Volume: 7
Number: 1
September 2011
UPCOMING EVENTS:
NEXT MEETING: Thursday, September 15, 7:15 PM.
SPEAKER: Darin Figurskey, Meteorologist-in-Charge, National Weather
Service Forecast Office - Raleigh
LOCATION: Room 1132, Jordan Hall North Carolina State University
TOPIC: Review of the April 16, 2011 Tornado Outbreak
ABSTRACT/BIO:
Darin Figurskey has been the Meteorologist-in-Charge (MIC) at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS) Forecast Office in Raleigh, North Carolina
since September, 2004. The Raleigh office is one of 122 NWS Weather Forecast Offices (WFO) in the
nation and one of 23 in the NWS Eastern Region. WFO Raleigh serves as the liaison office for state
government in North Carolina.
As MIC, Darin is responsible for ensuring the citizens in central North Carolina receive timely and
accurate weather warnings and forecasts as well as climate and water information. His responsibilities also
include maintaining close working relationships with NWS partners in the public, private, and academic
sectors, as well as providing severe weather awareness, preparedness and safety education for the public.
A key role is interacting with state officials and members of the academic community.
A native of southeast Michigan and a graduate of the University of Michigan, Darin’s career began January
16, 1990 at the NWS office in Flint, Michigan. In September, 1991, Darin transferred to the NWS office
in Detroit. He spent nearly two years as a forecaster in Lubbock, Texas from November, 1993 to
September, 1995, returning to Michigan as a senior forecaster at the Detroit/Pontiac forecast office. Darin
became a Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the Detroit/Pontiac office in November, 1997, and in
October, 2001, Darin became the MIC of the NWS office in Buffalo, New York.
After arriving in Raleigh, Darin received a great North Carolina welcome from Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne,
three of the seven tropical cyclones to affect North Carolina that hurricane season. On Darin’s first day at
the Raleigh office, September 8, the remnants of Hurricane Frances were giving the state areas of heavy
rain and isolated tornadoes. This was followed by the remnants of Ivan and Jeanne in mid and late
September. After Darin’s first three weeks in Raleigh, he had already been through three tropical systems
and two storm damage surveys!
Darin is grateful for the opportunity to work with a dedicated and knowledgeable staff at WFO Raleigh, as
well as meeting and working with many individuals both in and outside of NOAA. Darin has been part of
the NOAA in the Carolinas Steering Committee since 2005, and is a member of the NOAA Southeast and
Caribbean Regional Team (SECART). Darin is married to Deanna, and they have three children,
Anastasia, Sullivan, and Adelaide.
As a friendly reminder, dues are $10 ($5 for student members) for the year, with half the dues going
towards the Academic Achievement Fund. Dues can be paid at the monthly meeting or sent to:
Marilyn Schiermeier
303 Glasgow Road
Cary, NC 27511
Please make checks payable to “CNCC-AMS”. Donations to the Academic Achievement Fund are also
welcome, and are tax deductible.
NEWS
Kenneth R. Knoerr (1927-2011)
Kenneth Knoerr, a founding member of our Chapter, passed away April 11. The
following is his obituary from the Durham Herald-Sun.
DURHAM -- Kenneth R. Knoerr, 83, passed away at home on April 11, 2011 of congestive heart failure.
He was a man of great wisdom, patience and kindness, a man of integrity, courage, intellect and industry,
a lover of nature, of science and of understanding at the most fundamental levels.
Ken was born on September 2, 1927 to Bertha Schambaugh Knoerr and Rudolf Knoerr of Milwaukee,
Wisconsin. As a teenager Ken worked summers for the U.S. Forest Service at Priest Lake, Idaho, the
beginning of his lifelong passions for forestry and the American West.
Ken attended the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, and graduated from the University of Idaho in 1952
with a B.S.F. in Forest Management. His studies were interrupted by military service in both WWII and
the Korean War. Although he initially desired a career with the Forest Service, he was encouraged to
pursue a PhD at Yale University in the young field of forest meteorology; his doctorate, earned in 1961,
studied the depletion of soil moisture in the high Sierra Nevadas, an important issue for water managers in
western states.
Ken joined the faculty of the School of Forestry at Duke University in 1961 as an Assistant Professor of
Forest Climatology, added an appointment as Associate Professor of Biometeorology in the Botany
Department in 1968, and achieved the rank of Professor of Environmental Meteorology and Hydrology in
1972. He became Professor Emeritus upon his retirement in 2002, but continued serving as Director of
Graduate Studies for Environmental Sciences and Policy (1995-2007).
An expert on mountain meteorology, microclimatology, forest fire behavior and watershed hydrology, Ken
was the author of more than 50 peer-reviewed studies, and was widely cited for his research on issues
related to the management of forest lands. Together with his graduate students and collaborators he
focused on processes by which forests interact with the atmosphere, pioneering the development of
physical models for plant-environment interaction and validating those models through extensive
micrometeorological experiments.
More recently he was engaged in a retrospective study of more than 100 forest fires in which unexpected
fire behavior trapped fire fighters, often with loss of lives. His research aimed at identifying common
causes of these events so that forest managers and firefighters could improve safety. Throughout his
career at Duke he was a strong advocate for Duke Forest and for interdisciplinary environmental science.
He played an important and enduring role in the evolution of the School of Forestry into the School of
Forestry and Environmental Sciences, and in the founding of Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment.
He was a member of the American Meteorological Society, the American
Geophysical Union, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and Sigma Xi. He served
for over 30 years on the Troop Committee for Boy Scout Troup 440 (sponsored by Watts Street Baptist
Church), in which all of his sons participated.
Ken is survived by Aspasia, his wife of 58 years; his brother, Don, of Smithers, British Columbia; three
sons: Alan Paul Knoerr of Pasadena, Calif., Eric Robert Knoerr of Panama City, Republic of Panama,
and David
Michael Knoerr of Lincoln, Mass.; four grandchildren: Ashley Aspasia Knoerr, Julia Rose Knoerr,
Mathew Alan Fenner and Mallory Kathleen Fenner; and 12 nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be made to the Triangle Land Conservancy, 1101 Haynes Street,
Suite 205, Raleigh, NC 27604,
www.triangleland.org.
AMS Introduces Local Chapter Affairs Newsletter
The American Meteorological Society has created a new newsletter focusing on local
chapters. The Local Chapter Affairs Newsletter aims to improve the connection between
chapters and the National AMS. Published quarterly, the newsletter will have news from
AMS Headquarters and information about selected chapters.
Newsletters can be accessed through the AMS Chapter Information page below. The
first issue, with information on activities at the AMS Annual Meeting in New Orleans, is
now available.
http://www.ametsoc.org/amschaps/newsletters.html
Announcements from the Student Chapter
The Student Chapter will hold its first meeting of the semester on Thursday, September
22. The meeting will be their annual back to school picnic at a location soon to be
determined.
More details of the picnic should be available next week. For more information, please
contact Student Chapter President Ashley McCraney (ajmccran@ncsu.edu).
April Meeting Minutes
Business Meeting Notes:
- 18 people were in attendance.
- Treasurer Marilyn Schiermeier noted that total Chapter assets are $10,961.42, including
$220.00 in the Academic Achievement Fund. Chapter membership for the year ended
with 48 individuals, down from last year’s total of 57.
- Chapter Vice President Darin Figurskey reminded members to contact him with any
suggestions for topics or speakers for next year’s meetings.
- The Chapter CD was renewed for one year at a 0.90% APY.
- The elections to retain the current officers for next year were held.
- Members discussed the local April 16th tornado outbreak and shared personal
experiences.
Speaker Notes:
- Dr. Ryan Boyles, Director and State Climatologist, State Climate Office of North
Carolina, presented, “Recent Initiatives of the State Climate Office of North Carolina”.
- The Southeast Regional Climate Center is a UNC/NCSU partnership and is funded by
NOAA, NESDIS, and the NCDC. The region includes the states from Virginia to
Alabama, as well as Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
- The office provides extension activities, including processing industry and media data
requests and developing applied monitoring tools, research activities, and educational
services.
- Data provided by the climate office is used for applications involving water, agriculture,
and the general public.
- Climate education provides awareness to the public and helps develop sector focused
training for groups such as teachers and agriculture specialists.
-A variety of future fire and smoke guidance, high resolution re-analysis, “best estimate”
climate observations, and downscale seasonal forecasts are expected to be offered in the
near future.
Mark those Calendars!
Here are the tentative dates and speakers for meetings during the 2011-2012 chapter year.
We look forward to seeing you.
September 15: Darin Figurskey – WFO Raleigh
October 20: Bill Reh – NBC17
November 17: Dr. Gerald Watson - NCSU
December 8: Dr. Jack Thigpen – North
Carolina Sea Grant
January 20: Mitch Burton – Progress Energy
February 16: Jessica Losego -RENCI
March 15:
Jonathan Blaes – WFO Raleigh
April 19:
Paschal Waniha - NCSU
Please be aware that dates are subject to change.
We are interested in any feedback or suggestions you may have. Please feel free to email
any of the officers with comments.
President: Frank Schiermeier
schiermeier@msn.com
Vice President: Darin Figurskey
Darin.Figurskey@noaa.gov
Treasurer: Marilyn Schiermeier
schiermeier@msn.com
Secretary: Ryan Cleary
rhcleary@hotmail.com
Education Chair: Marvin Maddox
maddoxmarvin@aol.com
Webmaster: Open
From the Archives
This year, we will be presenting documents and items of interest from our archives. We hope you enjoy
this trip down memory lane.
The following document concerns the naming of the proposed chapter as a portion of the application
process.
Pictures from the 43rd Annual Banquet, held Friday, May 6, at the Bavarian Brathaus in
Cary
Above: AMS Academic Achievement Award Winner Morgan Brooks with George Bridgers.
Above: AMS Academic Achievement Award Winner Chana Seitz with George Bridgers.
Above: AMS Academic Achievement Award Winner Andrew Hall with George Bridgers.
Above: Guest Speaker Brian K. Short opening his presentation for the membership.