• President's Message
  
• October 24 Virtual Student/Early Career Conference Registration Open
• Thank You 2021 Annual Meeting Platinum Sponsors!
• Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month
• Meet the Newest Seal Holders
• October Webinar — Hint it has Heat
• In Memoriam — Alan Johnson
• Fall WRN Campaign
• Students Fall Scholarships are Open $$$
• Check Out all the New Jobs Corner Announcements
• New JOM Key Words: QLCS, Tornadoes, Straight-Line, Wind, Signals
• Share Weather News

President's Message
NWA President Nate Johnson

That's a Wrap on the Historic Hybrid Annual Meeting

Our 2021 Annual Meeting is in the books — a most atypical one at that — and I want to use the opportunity to reflect and be grateful for the people who made it happen.

Of course, after 2020’s successful virtual meeting, we knew this year would be a challenge. On the one hand, we saw the benefits of a hybrid option, giving attendees and presenters the ability to participate remotely. On the other hand, we hoped that the situation with the pandemic would allow for an in-person component to the meeting, too.

Like everyone else, we spent much of 2021 watching COVID trends. Early in the summer, it looked like we’d be able to have a pretty large in-person component, potentially without many restrictions.

Then the variant-that-shall-not-be-named reared its ugly head.

In the last few weeks leading up to the meeting, CEO Janice Bunting and I were talking daily, sharing stats, reviewing guidance, and so forth. That led to more conversations with folks in Tulsa on case rates, hospitalization figures, and guidance from civic leaders.

We convened two Board meetings to discuss our plans and whether and how we should move forward with the in-person component. We had already been planning a hybrid meeting, so the show would go on either way. But we knew there was a significant portion of attendees who wanted to be in person if possible.

After a deep review of the situation, the latest CDC guidance, local updates, and requests from our host city and its healthcare leaders, the Board decided to move forward with an in-person component, to require proof of vaccination, and to require masking in our space.

We aren’t doctors. We aren’t epidemiologists. We aren’t infectious disease experts. So we listened to those who are — and to the community that was to host our meeting. We held our in-person activities in the most responsible way we could: Fully vaccinated and masked. We can’t eliminate the risk, of course, and it would be foolish to suggest otherwise. But we can take steps to mitigate that risk for those who wanted and felt comfortable to attend in person while also providing a full and meaningful experience for attendees online.

I am proud of the NWA Board of Directors for its thoughtful and deliberate approach to this topic, and I am grateful to the in-person attendees, volunteers, and others for being the responsible guests in our host city and for complying with the requirements without complaint. Thank you all.

There are many other people whose time, talent, and treasure resulted in this meeting coming together. I want to highlight a few.

First are our HQ staff, led by CEO Janice Bunting and Nicole Van Every. They are the wizards behind the curtain and do so much for us that we rarely if ever see but that is utterly critical to the success of the meeting in particular and the organization in general.

The annual meeting committee and especially the co-chairs, Wendy Sellers and Shawn Cable, pulled together a fascinating four days of sessions and conversations. Shawn was up front in Tulsa helping facilitate sessions from Sunday morning until we adjourned on Wednesday afternoon, and Wendy was assisting with the virtual portion. Besty Kling also ran point in organizing an excellent broadcast workshop to kick the meeting off on Sunday.

Our partners at Factor 110 juggled in-person and virtual talks flawlessly, keeping the in-person A/V and remote streams flowing smoothly for all attendees. Honestly, for many remotely delivered talks, I forgot the presenters were even remote. (And we minimized the “can you see my screen?” and “can you hear me now?” moments that have become all too common in our lives in the last 18 months.)

Big thanks to everyone who presented their work and to everyone who contributed to that work along the way, even if you weren’t able to join us. What you are doing moves our weather enterprise forward. Even small steps over a long time can and do make a big impact.

It is a privilege to be a part of this organization and to have the opportunity, this year especially, to witness up close the dedication of its members, staff and volunteers to its mission of connecting operational meteorologists and pursuing excellence.

Looking ahead, we’ve got a couple of meeting-related events planned for October. The Research Operations Nexus (RON), connecting researchers with practitioners, will be all virtual this year. It’s scheduled for October 6. We’re also hosting a standalone Student and Early-Career Workshop on Sunday, October 24. Mark your calendars — it’s not too late!

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The image shows the Speed Mentoring Event at the 2021 Annual Meeting in Tulsa. 

Attendees will gain insight about getting started in a meteorology career, what to expect the first few years, and they will learn about different career opportunities in the field.

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The meeting would not have been a success without these Platinum Sponsors.

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Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month

National Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 to October 15 and celebrates the contributions and achievements of Hispanic Americans. September 15th is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries such as Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The Library of Congress hosts a site with information and resources.

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Get to Know the Newest Seal Holders

Earning the NWA Television Seal of Approval is reason to celebrate. Please join us on congratulating these three new NWA Seal Holders. They answered a few questions so that we can get to know them better.  

Adis Juklo, with WHTM-TV ABC 27 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, earned his Seal in July.

What sparked your interest in meteorology?
I was about 10 years old when I witnessed a powerful storm rip through my neighborhood just outside of Pittsburgh. I remember immediately running outside to video tape the damage with my dad and was stunned how a nice day could turn severe so quickly. That sparked my interest in thunderstorms and shortly thereafter, I wanted to know all about hurricanes and snowstorms! By high school, I knew I wanted to be a broadcast meteorologist.

What do you love to do in your free time?
I love playing and watching soccer, as well as hockey. My favorite teams are the Pittsburgh Penguins and Bosnia national team. I also enjoy spending time outside and exploring new places.

Do you have any unusual/hidden talents?
I have worked at my father's pizzeria since I was in high school, and consider myself an expert pizza maker. I have also been told that I'm good at impressions.

What is the most memorable weather event you have covered on air?
I covered a tornado that went through Lewistown in spring of 2019. While there was no immediate tornado warning in effect, my colleague and I were alarmed by the wind signature on the storm, so we were the first to break into coverage. Shortly after the storm, we learned an EF2 tornado went through that county!

What do you love most about being a member of the NWA?
I love the opportunities it presents. I can learn and grow as a scientist through others' publications, but am also a part of a collaborative community of broadcasters. The connections are wonderful and attending the annual meeting is an excellent way to meet others and network.

Brett Anthony is the chief meteorologist at KYTX-TV CBS19in Tyler, Texas. He earned his Seal in August. 

What sparked your interest in meteorology?
Growing up, I always went outside when the weather in Pennsylvania was at its worst, but there is one memory I will never forget and it left me fascinated with the weather. We lived down the street from a bank and outside the bank was a big thermometer. It was a warm December day, the bank thermometer read 73 degrees. From my house, I watched the rain start falling and the temperature start dropping. It fell into the 50s and the rain got a little heavier. The temperature fell into the 40s and it kept raining. By late afternoon the temperature had fallen to around 32 degrees and the rain started mixing with snow. The temperature fell into the 20s and heavy snow fell. A foot of snow later, an announcement on the radio, no school tomorrow. I later learned what I watched was a nor'easter. I was hooked.

What do you love to do in your free time?
I like to run and bike. I've completed nine marathons, including New York, Chicago and Disney.

Do you have any unusual/hidden talents?
No, not a one. Unless falling asleep while sitting up is considered a talent.

What is the most memorable weather event you have covered on air?
The 2019 Lindale EF-4 tornado. I tracked that thing from beginning to end, often too close for comfort, got hit with a 108 mph wind gust but felt like the information and video sent back that day confirmed the intensity and danger of the rain-wrapped, up to a mile wide tornado. No one died and that might be the most satisfying thing to come out of it

What do you love most about being a member of the NWA?
The exchange of ideas. The resources available to better communicate the science to our viewing public. It's nice to know other meteorologists often deal with the same issues and obstacles and yet we all persevere.

Vanessa Alonso earned her Seal in September while she was with WCBI TV in Columbus, Mississippi. Since then, she has moved to Florida.

Please tell us about your new job.
I’ve accepted an on-air bilingual meteorologist position at WUFT-TV in Gainesville, Florida, where I will be doing Public TV weather forecasts in both English and Spanish for all the PBS Channels across the Florida, and public radio through the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network, which provides hurricane and other significant severe weather content to every public media operation in the state of Florida. I will also be teaching broadcast meteorology classes on the side to students at the University of Florida.

What sparked your interest in meteorology?
Meteorology has been a part of me since I was only seven years old when Category 5 Hurricane Andrew devastated my hometown of Miami, Florida, in the early morning hours of August 24,1992. My family and I lived in the Coral Gables/Kendall area near where the far northern eyewall of the storm passed through. I actually lived not too far from the NWS Miami Office and the National Hurricane Center, where the famous Miami radar got knocked off the roof during the storm. I still remember hearing Meteorologist Bryan Norcross over the radio and the constant roar of those monster winds all night long. It was a loud sound that just wouldn't stop. It was just downright scary. My family's house and neighborhood thankfully remained standing once daylight came, but neighborhoods not too far south from us did not, and it only got worse as you went more south towards the Homestead and Florida City areas. It was just pure devastation. That experience with Mother Nature gave me the drive and inspiration to be where I am today. 

What do you love to do in your free time?
When I’m not following the weather, I like to stay active by traveling, dancing, exercising, cooking, baking, watching movies and TV shows, reading a good book, shopping and hanging out with my family & friends. I also love watching football. During my time as a University of Miami Hurricane, I was a cheerleader and loved pumping up the crowds on the field. During my time in Missouri, I also got the opportunity to be a feature reporter and cover the Kansas City Chiefs, including during their amazing Super Bowl 2019 season. I am also a huge Disney fan and I try to visit Walt Disney World any chance I can get.

Do you have any unusual/hidden talents?
I tend to have a great and descriptive memory. I can remember significant dates or events and what happened. Just ask! 

What is the most memorable weather event you have covered on air?
It would have to be covering the aftermath of the May 22, 2011, EF-5 Joplin Tornado. I worked in Joplin, Missouri, before I moved north to Kirksville, Missouri, for my next job. I moved from the city exactly five weeks before it happened. It's still something I can't explain to this very day. The area of town that I lived in was completely destroyed as it was in the tornado's path. It was just horrible and heartbreaking. I covered extensively the aftermath and recovery efforts, during that first year. I’m so proud of how that city has rebuilt and how far they have come. Having to go through Hurricane Andrew as a child then dealing with the aftermath of Joplin as an adult, it really helped put things in perspective for me that weather affects everyone and everyday, no matter how old or young you are and that it's my job to help keep everyone informed and safe on both the sunny and stormy days. 

What do you love most about being a member of the NWA?
It's just amazing to be surrounded by an amazing group of people who share the same passion of weather as I do, and we just support & encourage each other. I've created lifelong friendships because of that and I'm forever grateful. I just love the world of weather. I can’t wait to see where it will take me next.

Anyone who is interested in earning an NWA Seal of Approval can learn more about the qualifications and procedures here.

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October 13 Webinar — NWS Heat Program

The NWA Webinar series returns on Wednesday October 13 at 2 pm ET. The best way to interact with the presenters is to watch the webinar live. It will be recorded for those who want to watch it later. 

Heat remains the number one weather related killer in the U.S. The last two years have seen record breaking heat from the unprecedented heat wave in the Pacific Northwest to a record number of extreme heat days in Arizona. The NWS has been at the forefront of extreme heat alerting and warning for the public and decision makers. Continuing these efforts, NWS has a comprehensive heat strategy to develop more tailored, impact-focused heat information and services. This webinar will offer an overview of the NWS heat strategy, a review of the 2021 heat season, and case studies from two Weather Forecast Offices.

Seal Holders may be able to earn 0.5 CEUs for watching the webinar. Review the NWA Seal Qualifications and Procedures Appendix A to learn how this might be a CEU option for you.

Register Here

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In Memoriam - Charter Member G. Alan Johnson
by Loren Phillips

G. Alan Johnson, forecaster with the National Weather Service for many years, passed away on August 18, 2021, following serious health issues. He was residing in the Austin/San Antonio area. Alan was 85 years old.

Alan was born in Austin, Texas, and became interested in meteorology at a very young age. That interest guided both his education and career paths.

Alan graduated from the University of Texas in Austin in 1959 with a B.S. Degree in Meteorology. He started his career with the NWS, that was then called the U.S. Weather Bureau, as an Intern Meteorologist in San Antonio, Texas, in June of 1959. In 1961, he moved to Wichita Falls, Texas, as a meteorologist with the NWS.

From 1954 to 1962, Alan was in the National Guard. In 1961, he joined the Air Force and moved to Schenectady, New York, for nine months. He was a Staff Sergeant in the weather detachment unit there. He was discharged in 1962 and moved back to Wichita Falls.

In 1962, Alan moved to Lubbock, Texas, as an agricultural meteorologist. He was promoted to Forecaster-in-Charge in 1972 when the weather office became one of three regional forecast centers (Weather Service Forecast Office) in Texas. Alan continued in Lubbock until 1981 when he moved to Slidell, Louisiana, as a Journeyman Forecaster. In February 1982 he was promoted to Forecaster-in-Charge and remained at Slidell until his retirement from the NWS in June 2004.

Alan was not only regarded as an outstanding weather forecaster but also one who was motivated to improve operational forecasting. At both the Lubbock and Slidell weather offices, he was involved with numerous research projects that resulted in decision trees to help forecasters issue more accurate weather forecasts. Some of the more noteworthy projects Alan worked on were forecasting the movement of the dry line, forecasting heavy snow and heavy rainfall, and high wind events in west Texas. These were all done at Lubbock. At Slidell, Alan modified the decision trees developed at Lubbock using different parameters relevant to Louisiana. He also conducted research into forecasting coastal waters and lake fog. Alan published his research in the National Weather Association (NWA) Digest, the Bulletin of the American Meteorology Society (AMS), conference preprints of the AMS and in the Southern Region Headquarters Notes and Tech Attachments.

Alan was active in two professional organizations. He became a charter member of the National Weather Association in 1976. He became a member of the American Meteorological Society while in college. In 1986, Alan received the Francis W. Reichelderfer Award from the AMS for “outstanding contributions in developing and applying analysis and forecasting methods directed toward severe-weather events that are responsible for flood-producing rainfall”. He became a Fellow of the AMS in 1992. In 2002, Alan was awarded Member of the Year by the NWA for his significant contributions to that organization. He was elected vice-president of the NWA in 2003. Alan served as a program chair at several NWA Annual Meetings and was a member of numerous committees within the organization.

Shortly after retiring from the NWS, Alan and his wife moved back to his hometown of Austin where he continued his interest in meteorology. For many years he was the on-site forecaster for the annual Jazz Fest held in New Orleans, Louisiana.

In summary, Alan can best be described as a friend and mentor to many as well as a dedicated and enthusiastic professional.

Messages for Alan's family may be left on this site.

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Promote a Weather-Ready Nation

It is time to promote the Weather-Ready Nation Fall Safety Campaign. If you are looking for content to promote preparedness on your social media accounts, educate students about weather, or want to get involved as a Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador^TM, check out all the resources on the website linked above.  

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Fall Scholarships Accepting Applications

The NWA Foundation is accepting applications for three scholarships and one grant. Find details and links to the applications here.

Applications for the following scholarships are open through December 7.   

• Arthur C. Pike Scholarship in Meteorology - $1000
• Phillips Family Undergraduate Scholarship for Meteorology - $1000
• Bob Glahn Scholarship in Statistical Meteorology - $2500

The Meteorological Satellite Applications Award Grant applications are due by March 22, 2022. You must submit an original (electronic) paper on meteorological satellite applications. The award is $500. There is an additional stipend up to $500 to attend the NWA Annual Meeting to present your research. 

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 NWA Jobs Corner

Several new job announcements have been posted in the NWA Jobs Corner recently. NWA Members have access to these announcements.

If you are an employer, reach a variety of candidates by posting your open positions. Job Posting Information

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New JOM Article Published

"Evaluating Precursor Signals for QLCS Tornado and Higher Impact Straight-Line Wind Events" is the latest JOM Article. The author is Justin C. Gibbs of the NOAA/National Weather Service, Warning Decision Training Division, in Norman, Oklahoma.

Abstract: Tornadoes produced by quasi-linear convective systems (QLCS) present a significant challenge to National Weather Service warning operations. Given the speed and scale at which they develop, different methods for tornado warning decision making are required than what traditionally are used for supercell storms. This study evaluates the skill of one of those techniques—the so-called three-ingredients method—and produces new approaches.

The three-ingredients method is found to be reasonably skillful at short lead times, particularly for systems that are clearly linear. From the concepts and science of the three-ingredients method, several new combinations of environmental and radar parameters emerge that appear slightly more skillful, and may prove easier to execute in real time. Similar skill between the emerging methods provides the forecaster with options for what might work best in any given scenario.

A moderate positive correlation with overall wind speed with some radar and environmental variables also is identified. Additionally, mesoscale convective vortices and supercell-like features in QLCS are found to produce tornadoes at a much higher rate than purely linear systems.

Fun Fact: NWA JOM publications are accessed on average of 2300 times each month. Learn more about submitting articles to the JOM.

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 Share Weather News

The NWA Newsletter welcomes relevant articles on association news, recent and historic weather events, professional development, member news and much more. All members are encouraged to submit articles for consideration. Please see the Instructions for Authors.

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