Program Description
Central Plains States Region
(Tornado Alley)
Late May to Early June 2010
Additional Pictures
The Storm Forecasting and Observation Program (Storm
Chasing Program) is
designed to teach students how to observe weather patterns and predict changes
in the weather by applying their classroom learning to the forecasting and
observation of actual storms. The
program is scheduled to coincide with the climatological peak for tornado
occurrence in the United States (late May into early June).
The true laboratory for a meteorologist is not inside a
building but outside in the free air of the atmosphere. Fundamentals can be taught in the
classroom, but to truly understand the atmosphere and attempt to predict its
changes requires that students directly observe the weather.
Program participants will drive to the Central Plains States
(Tornado Alley)
for the first two weeks of this 3-week program. Each morning, students will analyze real-time data, produce
forecasts, discuss their forecasts, and depart to the target area (where it is
believed that severe thunderstorms will develop). During the 2009 and 2010 chase seasons we will also
participate in the VORTEX 2 (Verification of the Origin of Rotation in
Tornadoes Experiment) field campaign, launching radiosondes to better
understand the environment in and around tornadic thunderstorms. At the end of each chase day, participants
will compare what was observed to their forecasts. This is when the real learning will occur!
The last week of the program will take place on the SUNY
Oswego campus, where students will compare their observations and forecast
methods to the latest theories on severe storm development and forecast
techniques. Participants will
conduct research projects with the data collected during each chase. Some will develop case studies of
specific events while others will test hypotheses related to thunderstorm
behavior. Students who wish to
receive credit for their experience can register for an independent study the
following fall to continue the research they began and develop a final product
(a written and oral report).
Contact Information
Dr. Scott Steiger
335 Piez Hall
Department of Earth Sciences
SUNY Oswego
(315) 312-2802
scott.steiger@oswego.edu
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