September | Issue 11 - 07

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

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NWA T-Shirts Still 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
Attendees at the Annual Meeting listen to a showcase presentation
several attendees interact while getting food.

NWA Annual Meeting Succeeds! 

The 48th NWA Annual Meeting was a resounding success, with 569 registered attendees. This year's meeting brought a whirlwind of accomplishments: interactive NCEP group session workshops, a record-breaking turnout at the RON Meetup, and over 150 showcases demonstrating our members' ingenuity in solving weather-related problems.

The New Probabilistic Forecast Challenge tested our forecasting skills, while the Broadcast Dinner Karaoke tested our vocal cords.

But most important to the NWA Annual Meeting is the camaraderie and friendship that electrifies the air. From showcase tables to bar stools, the foyer and the stage, we connect with old friends and create new ones. We convene to connect our knowledge to the world, and in doing so, we connect to each other.

We are grateful for the opportunity to have brought the weather community together, and we look forward to seeing you next year for the 49th NWA Annual Meeting!

2024 Annual Meeting Location: Irving, Texas!

The Irving Convention Center

NWA 49th Annual Meeting

September 13-18, 2024

Irving Convention Center

Irving, Texas

Hotels to be announced in early 2024.

Thank You to Our 2023 Annual Meeting Sponsors!

Platinum Sponsors of the NWA Annual Meeting

Baron Weather Logo

Baron

The weather Company an IBM Business logo.

The Weather Company,
an IBM business

 
Meteomatics logo

Meteomatics

Platinum Cosponsors of the Broadcaster Dinner

 
The weather company an ibm buisness logo

The Weather Company,
an IBM business

 
climavision logo

Climavision

 

Platinum Sponsor of the Broadcaster Workshop Lunch

 
weathercall logo

WeatherCall

 

Thank You Exhibitors!

Baron Weather

Gray Television

Meteomatics

Midland Radio Corporation

The COMET Program

The Weather Company, an IBM Business
University of Missouri School of Natural Resources

WeatherBell Analytics, LLC

WeatherCall

WKU Disaster Science Operations Center

WMVision

2023 NWA Award Winners

Congratulations to all the 2023 NWA Annual Award winners! Visit our awards page for a comprehensive list of NWA Annual awards, past winners, and nomination procedures. Nominations are accepted all year round.

Larry R. Johnson Special Award NOAA/NWS RMAC Central RROC For providing cutting edge mesoanalysis mutual aid during real-time severe weather, leading to improved situational awareness and warning decision making across the National Weather Service.
Local Chapter of the Year Award Northern Vermont University Student Chapter For outstanding service and outreach to their local community on the weather, climate, and opportunities in the field of atmospheric sciences.
Member of the Year Matthew Beitscher For his exemplary leadership and dedication to enhancing NWA Weather and Forecast Committee (WAF) services. He has empowered others to thrive as leaders in the NWA developing successful teams who have fostered the growth of top-rated events like the NWA RON Meetups and Master Classes. By evolving these as virtual events, he has also increased access to learning and collaboration opportunities for members across the country. He and the Committee have also led the way as the first NWA Member Group, embodying the organization's mission of connecting members.We applaud his commitment to member engagement and know that his actions will result in continued success.
Public Education Award WARN Task Force NWS/NOAA For their innovative response in bringing education and critical warning notifications to one of the most weather-vulnerable populations in the United States - the Amish. WARN's goal in working with the Amish community is not to change their culture, but to find ways to weave weather information into their daily lives in a manner that fits their lifestyle.
Walter J. Bennett Public Service Award White Squirrel Weather Western Kentucky University For its innovative applied service-learning model that ties together advanced training experiences for future meteorologists with student-centered decision-support services that improve the health and safety of its university and community.
Operational Achievement Group Award NOAA/NWS WFO Fairbanks & Anchorage AESSIC and Ocean Prediction Center For providing extraordinary life-saving Impact-Based Decision Support Services to core partners, vulnerable populations, mariners, and fishermen for the unprecedented September 2022 Post-Typhoon Merbok event in western Alaska, the North Pacific, and the Bering Sea.
Operational Achievement Group Award NOAA/NWS WFO Buffalo, NY For exceptional forecast, warning, and decision support services during the historic December 23-27, 2022, Western New York blizzard.
Aviation Meteorology Award NOAA/NWS CWSU Kansas City AWC For demonstrating leadership, collaboration, and exceptional customer service while providing life-saving emergency aviation weather decision support to rescue a general aviation pilot trapped in icing conditions.
Broadcaster of the Year Award Jim Jaggers WREG-TV (Memphis) For over 40 years of outstanding service to Memphis and the Mid-South providing accurate forecasts, lifesaving information during severe weather, and an exceptional commitment to the community with weather education and charitable endeavors.
Special Lifetime Achievement Award Sheldon Kusselson CIRA and Retired Satellite Meteorologist NOAA/NESDIS For pioneering efforts in applying passive microwave satellite data to forecast atmospheric rivers and heavy precipitation and Special Lifetime Achievement educating users on this data.
Special Lifetime Achievement Award Michel Davison International Desks Lead NOAA/NWS WPC MARRIOTT KANSAS CITY DOWNTOWN For his exceptional contributions to the meteorological community across the Western Hemisphere over his 37-year career within the U.S. Air Force and National Weather Service.

National Preparedness Month

Each September, Ready.gov raises awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters. The Ready Campaign’s 2023 National Preparedness Month theme focuses on preparing older adults for emergencies. 

Older adults can face greater risks when it comes to the multitude of extreme weather events, especially if they are living alone, have low-income, have a disability, or live in rural areas.

We can increase resilience by taking control in 1, 2, 3.

  1. Assess your needs. If you have medications that need refrigeration, rely on mobility or assistive devices or have a pet you’ll need to understand how these variables will factor into what you’ll need to stay safe in a disaster or emergency.
  2. Make a plan. Once you assess your needs, you can tailor your plans to make sure your needs are met. This can include building a kit that includes extra medication, having a way to store medications in an emergency and planning for your pets or service animals.
  3. Engage your support network. Reaching out to family, friends and neighbors can help you build a support network that can support you before, during and after a disaster or emergency.

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™.

The 2023 National Weather Association Foundation Sol Hirsch Education Fund Grants are awarded to Amanda Carrico, Brandy Masters, Susan Lee, and Marie Stott.

The 2023 National Weather Association Foundation Sol Hirsch Education Fund Grants are awarded to Amanda Carrico, Brandy Masters, Susan Lee, and Marie Stott. Congrats to these outstanding educators!

Sol Hirsch Education Fund Grants are awarded annually to teachers/educators of grades K-12 to help improve the education of their students, their school, and/or their community in the science of meteorology.

The grants were established in 1994 thanks to the generosity of former National Weather Association Executive Director Sol Hirsch and many NWA members, and were transferred to the National Weather Association Foundation in 2017.

By issuing these grants, we're helping educate future meteorologists. Please use the buttons below to donate to the Sol Hirsch grant or any other NWA Foundation Scholarships.

Congratulations to the 2023 NWA Foundation Spring Scholarship recipients!

Students, applications will reopen this fall and next spring. Stay up-to-date by following us on social media and checking out our website and read more about these winners on our news post.

National Weather Association Foundation 2023 recipients: Broadcast Meteorology Scholarship: Josh Duncan, The University of Oklahoma. Bob Glahn Scholarship in Statistical Meteorology: Maxwell Katsouros, The Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Roderick A. Scofield Meteorology Scholarship: M. Geogdzhaveva, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Ken Reeves Memorial AccuWeather Undergraduate Scholarship: Reagan Mendele, The University of Oklahoma. David Sankey Minority Scholarship in Meteorology: Veronica Quintero, Mississippi State University. Visit NWAFOUNDATION.ORG for more information.

FEMA and FCC Plan Nationwide Emergency Alert Test for Oct. 4, 2023

WASHINGTON -- FEMA, in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) this fall. The national test will consist of two portions, testing WEA and EAS capabilities. Both tests are scheduled to begin at approximately 2:20 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Oct. 4.

The WEA portion of the test will be directed to all consumer cell phones. This will be the third nationwide test, but the second test to all cellular devices. The test message will display in either English or in Spanish, depending on the language settings of the wireless handset. The EAS portion of the test will be sent to radios and televisions. This will be the seventh nationwide EAS test.

FEMA and the FCC are coordinating with EAS participants, wireless providers, emergency managers and other stakeholders in preparation for this national test to minimize confusion and to maximize the public safety value of the test.

The purpose of the Oct. 4 test is to ensure that the systems continue to be effective means of warning the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level. In case the Oct. 4 test is postponed due to widespread severe weather or other significant events, the back-up testing date is Oct. 11. 

The WEA portion of the test will be initiated using FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), a centralized internet-based system administered by FEMA that enables authorities to send authenticated emergency messages to the public through multiple communications networks. The WEA test will be administered via a code sent to cell phones. 

This year the EAS message will be disseminated as a Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) message via the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System-Open Platform for Emergency Networks (IPAWS-OPEN).

All wireless phones should receive the message only once. The following can be expected from the nationwide WEA test:

  • Beginning at approximately 2:20 p.m. ET, cell towers will broadcast the test for approximately 30 minutes. During this time, WEA-compatible wireless phones that are switched on, within range of an active cell tower, and whose wireless provider participates in WEA, should be capable of receiving the test message. 
  • For consumers, the message that appears on their phones will read: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
  • Phones with the main menu set to Spanish will display: “ESTA ES UNA PRUEBA del Sistema Nacional de Alerta de Emergencia. No se necesita acción.”

WEA alerts are created and sent by authorized federal, state, local, tribal and territorial government agencies through IPAWS to participating wireless providers, which deliver the alerts to compatible handsets in geo-targeted areas. To help ensure that these alerts are accessible to the entire public, including people with disabilities, the alerts are accompanied by a unique tone and vibration. 

Important information about the EAS test:

  • The EAS portion of the test is scheduled to last approximately one minute and will be conducted with the participation of radio and television broadcasters, cable systems, satellite radio and television providers and wireline video providers.
  • The test message will be similar to the regular monthly EAS test messages with which the public is familiar. It will state: “This is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, covering the United States from 14:20 to 14:50 hours ET. This is only a test. No action is required by the public.
FEMA Logo
Lauren Wallace

Probabilistic Forecast Challenge Winner!

Congratulations to Lauren Wallace, Chief Meteorologist at KGPE-TV in Fresno, CA!

Participants were tested on their forecasting skills in the Probabilistic Forecast Challenge, where they predicted the maximum temperature for Kansas City. Lauren achieved the best Brier Score average of 0.11, calculated across four days of the conference.

Thanks to everyone who participated in this inaugural Annual Meeting event, organized by the Weather & Forecasting (WAF) Member Group!

New Seal Holder: Sean Bellafiore!

What sparked your interest in meteorology?

When I was a kid, I was always interested in the sky and wanted to know more about how "the sky" worked. The real passion started in 2004. My parents and I were in the process of moving to South Florida from New York. My mom had to leave me with my grandparents – three days before Hurricane Frances struck. My grandfather was adamant about riding the storm out at his house, but I guess I made enough of a fuss about being scared and we went to one of the Red Cross shelters. I was such an information sponge in regards to weather that I was giving out weather information and telling folks where I thought the storm was going based off of the one TV the shelter had. I don't think I gave anyone any incorrect information...

Student Presentation Competition Winners 

Graduate Oral Presentation Winner:  Joseph Trujillo-Falcón, Probabilistic Information: Is It Useful for Bilingual Speakers?

Graduate Showcase Presentation Winners:
1st Place: Megan Borowski, Evaluating HRRR Short-Term forecasts of Sea Breeze Rainfall under different Synoptic Regimes
2nd Place: Leanna Bender, The Development of a Convective Classification Scheme for Mesoscale Snow Events 
3rd Place: Craig Croskery, Tornado Sheltering: Challenges and Solutions Including Public Storm Shelters 

Undergraduate Oral Presentation Winners:

1st Place: Vanessa Dunham, Advancing Risk Communication through a National Survey of Hispanic and Latinos in the United States
2nd Place: Larissa Sperk, Expanding Aviation Applications for the Geostationary Lightning Mapper 

 Undergraduate Showcase Presentation Winners:
1st Place: Allison Harvey, Developing and Improving Tornado Shelter Plans for Mobile and Manufactured Homes 
2nd Place: Evan White, GOES-18 Band 7 Barcode Artifact Removal
3rd Place: Angelika Romo, Sounding data and large raindrop pools in thunderstorms crossing the Hudson River Valley, NY. 

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.

JOM: Preliminary Use of Convection-allowing Models in Fire Weather

Preliminary Use of Convection-allowing Models in Fire Weather. Authors: T. Lindley, A. Zwink R. Barnes, G. Murdoch, B. Ancell, P. Burke and P. Skinner

ABSTRACT: Multiple high-impact wildfire episodes on the southern Great Plains in 2021/22 provided unique opportunities to demonstrate the emerging utility of Convection-allowing Models (CAMs) in fire-weather forecasting. This short contribution article will present preliminary analyses of the deterministic Texas Tech Real Time Weather Prediction System’s Red Flag Threat Index (RFTI)...

JOM: The NOAA Weather Prediction Center’s Use and Evaluation of Experimental Warn-on-Forecast System Guidance

The NOAA Weather Prediction Center's Use and Evaluation of Experimental Warn-on-Forecast System Guidance. AUTHORS: K. Wilson, N. Yussouf, P. Skinner, K. Knopfmeier, B. Matilla, P. Heinseman, A. Orrison, R. Otto, M. Erickson

ABSTRACT: This study examines the use of experimental Warn-on-Forecast System (WoFS) guidance for short-term flash flood prediction at the NOAA Weather Prediction Center’s Meteorological Watch (Metwatch) desk. The WoFS guidance provides storm-scale ensemble forecasts for individual thunderstorms out to six hours and has previously shown great promise in its predictive skill for heavy rainfall events. Its operational utility was examined during 2019 and 2020...

Community: Connect Communicate, Collaborate

Monthly Top 10 Contributors

David Nussbaum
Amy Sweezey
Laura Mock
Morgan Palmer
C. Cantwell
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Nate Johnson
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Michael White

Join the discussions to vie for a top 10 spot next issue!

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