October | Issue 11 - 08

NWA Logo.

Connecting Operational Meteorologists in Pursuit of Excellence in Weather Forecasting, Communication and Service.

##[Name | First]##,

 

Thanks for being an NWA member! 

President's Message: Get Involved with Committee Volunteers!

President Christina Crowe

The 2024 NWA Board and Officer Election closes soon.
The last day to vote will be November 1, 2023 at 11:59 pm CT.

Why does your vote matter? The NWA Board of Directors comprises elected NWA members to govern our organization. They are dedicated volunteers who oversee the success of the NWA, including goal setting and achievement, financial sustainability, and legal/ethical compliance.

The NWA’s success depends on a board fully invested in the future of our organization. When you vote, you choose who will shape the future of the NWA. Explore the 2024 candidates and cast your vote by clicking the buttons below.

The first NWA Annual Meeting I attended was the 2005 meeting in St. Louis. I remember feeling lost as an undergrad, wandering around the halls with some fellow students and slightly overwhelmed by the professionals who surrounded me. I remember little else from that meeting except for one seemingly small moment. One of our professors introduced me to a friend of his who served as the Chair of the NWA Weather Analysis & Forecasting Committee. They were looking for a student to serve on the committee and I gamely responded that I’d be excited to come on board (not sharing my concerns about having no clue what I was doing or how I could contribute at my level).

To borrow from Walt Whitman, "and that has made all the difference."

I progressed from a student member on the WAF Committee to eventually chairing it. I’ve helped plan special events at Annual Meetings, led a team that developed the first NWA Supporting Women in Meteorology luncheon (which laid the foundation for the Diversity Committee), served two terms on the Council/Board, and chaired the new Governance Committee before assuming the role of President. Like so many others, I found many ways to utilize my skills and compassion to assist our community.

Some folks don’t have the time to invest in NWA activities, but here's what I've gained: a vast network of friends across the weather enterprise and the chance to develop leadership and communication skills beyond my daily job. These experiences helped me advance my career and gave me a support system I can count on. And I know I’m not the only one. 

You may be thinking, "That's nice for you, Christina. Very 'Ted Lasso storytime' of you, but what's the point here?"

I was lucky to get my foot in the door by knowing someone, and that isn't the case for lots of amazing people. So, we’re excited to announce a refreshed way for YOU to get more involved in NWA activities! If you'd like to get involved in a committee or activity, all you have to do is fill out the Volunteer Form (Button Below). You can also access the form in two ways: Through the Member Portal (find the Member Resources Menu and click on "Volunteer Form"), or using the Quick Links navigation tab in Community.

And that’s it! Once you’ve submitted the form, a committee chair from your desired committee will contact you on an as-needed basis, depending on when the committees need additional volunteers. 

While this form will always be accessible, we recommend expressing your interest by December 1 to ensure consideration. We will be sharing the form with committees shortly thereafter. We once tried to secure interest during membership renewals, but our old record-keeping system made it impossible to know whether the data was up-to-date. Not every committee needed new members, but there wasn't a way to let you know.

This new form will let us know immediately if you are interested in a leadership role, and you will see current opportunities that need to be filled. This effort also helps provide a more democratic way for members to find their path into NWA leadership, without having to rely on personal connections.

NWA Operational Committees: Annual Meeting, Awards, Broadcast, Diversity, Local Chapters, Member Group, Membership & Marketing, Professional Development, Remote Sensing and Social Media

NWA Board Committees: Governance and Finance

In addition to the committees listed, opportunities also exist in the following areas: abstract reviewing, scholarship evaluation, WeatherReady Fest, RON, WAF, and webinars.

Interested members must be in good standing.
Filling out this form is not a guarantee of committee selection.
Appointments are approved by the NWA President per NWA Bylaws: Section 9.1.

Heliophysics BIG Year

The NASA Heliophysics BIG Year (2023-2024) ​​is a global celebration of solar science. Want to get involved? Two Facebook groups are discussing upcoming solar events and sharing educational content about the BIG year.

Fall Scholarship Applications Still Open

Students! The NWA Foundation is accepting applications for the following scholarships until November 30, 2023:

  • Arthur C. Pike Scholarship in Meteorology - $1000
  • Phillips Family Undergraduate Scholarship for Meteorology - $1000

Both the Meteorological Satellite Applications Award Grant and The David Freeman NWA Past President's Fund applications are due by March 28, 2024. 

Are You Weather-Ready?

NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS) wants you to be prepared for hazardous weather year-round, and to build a Weather-Ready Nation.

The NWA is proud to be a Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador™.

New Seal Holder: Kim Castro!

What is the most memorable weather event you have covered?

The deadliest wildfire in California history, the Camp Fire that destroyed the town of Paradise. I covered this event both on the green screen and in the field. I saw the magnitude of the Pyrocumulonimbus clouds on satellite and radar, and later, felt their force in person. It was a sobering experience, as was the destruction afterwards. All that remained were chimneys and melted car rims on the road…

Photo of Kim Castro.

Kim Castro

KHOU 11 News | Houston, TX

COMET Quarterly Announcement, Fall 2023

Greetings! Fall is in the air here in Boulder, Colorado!

Over the summer, COMET published five new lessons on MetEd, covering various topics: aviation (low ceilings and reduced visibility), hydrology (the sixth lesson in the series on working with streamgages), hydrological modeling (six short videos about new National Water Model (NWM) services and their use in decision support), forecasting (decision support for extreme heat threats), and another lesson in the Communicating Subseasonal to Seasonal Impacts series on ENSO. We also published three new lessons in Spanish, all focused on scatterometry.

We appreciate your continued use of our training materials!

New COMET Lessons in English
Communicating Subseasonal to Seasonal Impacts: ENSO
Using Heat Forecast Tools to Provide Decision Support for Extreme Heat Threats
National Water Model Services: Training Videos II
Streamgage Basics: Troubleshooting in the Field
Aviation Hazards: Low Ceilings and Reduced Visibility
New COMET Lessons in Spanish
Integración de datos de viento del dispersómetro en la predicción meteorológica: casos en el Pacífico tropical
Fundamentos de dispersometría
Uso de las estimaciones de vientos por dispersometría y de olas por altimetría en pronósticos marinos

Currently, these materials are freely available to everyone, courtesy of our primary sponsors, including: NOAA's National Weather Service (NWS), the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), the Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC), NOAA's National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service (NESDIS), NOAA's National Geodetic Survey (NGS), the National Center for Meteorology (NCM) of Saudi Arabia, the National Science Foundation (NSF), the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the US Geological Survey (USGS) Water Resources Mission Area, the World Bank (WB), and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

 

Sincerely,
David Russi
Translation Coordinator
UCAR/COMET

Seal Recertifications

NWA TV/Radio Weathercaster Seal of Approval Logo in front of various weather photos

NWA Seal of Approval Holders: The deadline for 2023 recertifications is quickly approaching!

If your Seal Expiration Date is 12/31/2023, you will need to submit your recertification materials no later than December 31 in order to avoid late fees and/or Seal revocation.
If you are due for recertification in 2024, you will receive information after the start of the new year.

Your Seal Expiration Date: ##Seal Member Expiration##

You can also find your Seal Expiration Date on the Member Portal. Click on My Profile, then scroll down to find your Seal Member Expiration Date.

Need to find your Seal number? It is on the certificate you received when your Seal was awarded. You can also find it anytime on our website.

Questions or concerns? Contact the National Weather Association at nwahelp@nwas.org, or call 405-701-5167.

NWA Merchandise: Easy Ordering Guide!

You can now order NWA logo apparel and merchandise at the NWA Lands' End storefront.

Here’s how:
1. Visit our storefront 
2. Create an account. 
3. Select Men's or Women's. (tab at top under search bar)
4. Choose your item.
5. Pick color, size and quantity.
6. Add logo and placement.
7. Click 'Add to Bag' or keep shopping.

blue NWA logo on a black polo.
 

Annual Meetings Shirts Available!

We have a few shirts left from the meeting! Grab your exclusive NWA 48th Annual Meeting shirt for just $25 (plus $8 shipping). Shipping is available within the United States and U.S. Territories. Please note: Payment is due at the time of purchase, and refunds will not be provided.

blue shirt with the 2023 NWA logo

Educating the (Weather) Educator: Weather Salience and Mindfulness Meditation as Useful Psychological Concepts for Use in SKYWARN™ Training Session

Article by Matthew J. Bolton1 and Stacie H. Hanes2 

SKYWARN™ storm spotter training sessions have been a staple service of the National Weather Service for many years. Historically, they have focused on physical meteorology and making people aware of the myriad of hazards and observational features of storms as well as severe weather reporting procedures. They have not, however, much discussed psychological aspects of storm spotting. Our intention here is to make SKYWARN training facilitators more aware of certain concepts which might enhance the delivery of training sessions. For instance, the very act of spotting involves weather salience, or paying attention to weather. 

What is Weather Salience?
Weather salience is multifaceted, involving not just basic attention to weather but also the contexts in which one pays attention. This might include, for example, the routine acquisition of forecast information in order to plan one’s day, or checking the weather to remain or get ahead of evolving severe conditions. It also involves one’s curiosity for weather information and weather science itself; the sensory aspects of being-in and desiring to experience different weather conditions; needing to think about weather; appreciating weather’s aesthetics; and is associated with protective action and decision-making mechanisms.

Why is Weather Salience Important for Storm Spotters?

Knowing that SKYWARN attendees will possess differing levels of salience can help training facilitators individually tailor content. Mindfulness meditation, on the other hand, may not work for everyone but can be presented as a tool useful to SKYWARN attendees for use in their storm observing and reporting activities.

What is Mindfulness Meditation?

Mindfulness involves being clearly and nonjudgmentally aware of one’s moment-to-moment thoughts and feelings. Regular practice of mindful breathing can help center attention and lower heart rate and blood pressure.

How Can Mindfulness Meditation Help Storm Spotters?

Preliminary research of ours has even shown that it may be helpful in easing negative emotions induced by storm fear. We believe it can help to decrease panic in stressful storm observation moments and enhance clarity of thought for the reporting of storm features.

Two Simple Mindfulness Techniques
Present-moment awareness and centering attention. Pause for a moment and gently direct attention to your breathing while closing your eyes. Slowly breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth (using the nose or mouth exclusively works too if one or the other is difficult; the intentionality of noticing is most important to the process). Notice yourself breathing in and out. Repeat this a few times before extending awareness to your thoughts; alternate noticing your breath and bodily sensations, sound from your surroundings, and your thoughts. Try not to judge or evaluate your thoughts and simply let them pass through your mind. Continue this for anywhere from a few seconds to 2-3 minutes before opening your eyes.

Grounding in the moment.
Pause for a moment. If sitting down, gently direct attention to your body making contact with the seat; if you are standing, direct your attention to notice your feet making contact with the ground. Set an intention to be present with this moment and notice your breathing alongside your chosen point of contact. Continue this process for as long as you would like or until you feel a sense of calm, and then return awareness to the world around you. 

1 College of Arts, Sciences, and Allied Services, Saint Leo University, Saint Leo, FL
2 National Weather Service Forecast Office Blacksburg, VA
References available on request. For correspondence: Matthew.Bolton@saintleo.edu 

JOM: End-User Threat Perception: Building Confidence
to Make Decisions Ahead of Severe Weather

End-User Threat Perception: Building Confidence to Make Decisions Ahead of Severe Weather

ABSTRACT: Ahead of severe weather, National Weather Service (NWS) core partners are responsible for making
decisions that ensure the safety of their jurisdiction... Owing to the complex science of severe weather forecasting, many events turn out to be null events and end-users learn to be selective in which forecasts warrant extra preparations. While end-users state they would rather be overprepared than under-prepared, end-users face varying consequences in the wake of null events that could lead them to be more hesitant in the future. Our team conducted background...

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