 NWA May 2021 Newsletter
Issue 21 - 05
President's Message
Like many others in our field, I can point to a single day as the genesis of my career in weather. I had always enjoyed the weather and watching storms roll by, but that Friday night was different. A series of storms produced tornadoes across Georgia, the Carolinas, and Virginia, including one in my hometown of Clemmons, North Carolina, and another, stronger tornado just up the road in Winston-Salem. I was just a little older than my oldest daughter is today, and I remember being scared — and worrying about our two outdoor cats — as we sheltered in the basement as the storms blew by. Other than a few loose objects being thrown around outside, we had no physical damage. (And our cats were fine.) I, on the other hand, spent the next couple of days being fairly jumpy at anything the sky did that wasn’t severe clear, but after the nerves settled, I realized I was hooked. While some of us can point back to a specific event, others point back to a movie. This month marked the 25th anniversary of Twister, a movie that noticeably boosted enrollment in meteorology programs in the years after its release. (University of Georgia professor John Knox refers to this as “The Twister Effect”, and he even published about in it the Bulletin of the AMS a few years later.) As weather phenomena make for exciting movies and cool special effects, it’s likely other films since have had similar, if lesser, effects. These are just two of the many reasons why people have a fascination with the weather. Some have made it a career, others a hobby, and others still just enjoy sitting on the porch, watching the storms roll by. But for all of these groups, what an amazing time we live in! We didn’t own a computer back in 1989, but today, observations, remote sensing data, and weather forecast models are available not just on computers but on devices we all carry around in our pockets. This widespread availability of weather data has not been without some pain points, however. Anyone can access those datasets, but not everyone has the training or education to interpret them properly. We have plenty of examples of well-meaning folks who, in their zeal for learning and doing, or by simply sharing what they know with family and friends, end up sending the wrong message. Speaking for myself, I am certain that were I to grow up in this environment, I would have been one of these folks! So, what should we do about this? Some have advocated for locking the data behind passwords and paywalls, hoping that making weather data less widely available, we will lock out the uneducated or those without the means to afford it. Unfortunately, I believe that solves the wrong problem — bad actors and attention seekers will still pony up, while the future meteorologists of the world will be on the outside looking in and missing the opportunity to learn with the same data the pros use. Instead, we should democratize the knowledge about meteorology with the same effectiveness as we have democratized the data of meteorology. The good news is we are already off to a great start. School visits, spotter training sessions, scouting weather badges, weather camps, and educational websites ranging from basic cloud identification all the way to advanced continuing education modules are all familiar to most meteorologists. In fact, many of us can point to touch points such as these as helping us on our journeys. Mentoring young people who have an interest in meteorology is also a great way to shape the future of our enterprise. Regardless of how we do it, helping anyone who wants to learn about the weather is a win-win. The recipients find a welcoming and supportive community of fellow weather enthusiasts, anyone looking to them for weather information benefits from the influence of a more experienced mentor, and our enterprise takes a step closer to a future of discovery and service. The best way to predict the future is to create the future we want to predict! Congratulate New TV Seal Holder Rebecca Kopelman
Rebecca Kopelman of KGAN-TV in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is the newest NWA TV Seal Holder. We asked her a few questions to get to know her better. Q: What sparked your interest in meteorology? Q: What do you love to do in your free time? Q: Do you have any unusual/hidden talents? Q: What is the most memorable weather event you have covered on air? Q: What do you love most about being a member of the NWA? Are you interested in earning and NWA Seal of Approval? If yes, more information is on the NWA Seal web page. We appreciate the important contributions of members and colleagues of Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage. Diversity in thought and experiences make our work stronger. If you would like to help us support diversity within the atmospheric and related sciences, consider donating to the NWA Foundation David Sankey Minority Scholarship in Meteorology and other Foundation scholarship funds.
NWA 46th Annual Meeting Update - August 21-25
The meeting will be held Sunday through Wednesday August 21-25. This is a slight change as we have typically held the meeting Sunday through Thursday. This year’s meeting will be hybrid, meaning you have the option to attend and present in person (in Tulsa, Oklahoma) or virtually. The in-person portion will be held at the Hyatt Regency Downtown Tulsa. The registration desk and exhibitor setup will begin on Saturday August 20. The hotel block will open soon and we will have more information about attendee registration. As you might imagine, this year has offered some unique considerations in meeting planning. It is taking us a bit longer to finalize our details and plans. Some exhibitor registrations and sponsorships are being finalized as are plans for events that have been proposed for the meeting. A preliminary agenda will be released early this summer. Please watch for announcements on keynote and invited speakers that will be coming soon. There will be an Annual Awards ceremony that people can attend both in-person and virtually. Factor 110 will be providing audio, video and virtual meeting support again this year. We will use the Whova app that we used last year. Whova has added some exciting options, and the app can be utilized by both virtual and in-person attendees. We know you probably have many questions about the meeting such as will masks be required, what will meeting in person look like, etc. We also know many of you aren't sure if you will be able to attend in person while others have already decided. This will be a year where flexibility and grace will be needed as all of us navigate through all these questions. We are very excited about the content that will be presented during the meeting, and we look forward to seeing each of you whether it is in Tulsa or on Whova. Members and abstract submitters will receive updates via email, and information will be posted on our website and social media sites as it becomes available. Please stay tuned for more information as we go through the summer. Janice Bunting, CEO
FEMA Resilient Nation Partnership Network Releases Building Alliances for Equitable Resilience The following was taken from the FEMA website and the Resilient Nation Partnership Network. The Resilient Nation Partnership Network (RNPN) is pleased to share Building Alliances for Equitable Resilience. This resource is the result of collaboration by 26 partners in the fields of equity and resilience. Through it, we seek to inspire the whole community to make equitable and resilient practices part of their day-to-day activities. Readers will find guidance, perspectives, personal stories, resources and more. While it is a first step in a long journey, we hope this leads to increased awareness, commitments, and action to make equitable resilience possible for all.
The RNPN is a unique network of organizations and individuals united to help communities take action and become more resilient. Their mission is to inform, educate, and motivate communities to protect themselves from the loss of life, property, and prosperity as a result of natural hazards. Their website contains much more information about joining the RNPN and their past and future events. Last October, RNPN partnered with NOAA to present the 2020 Alliances for Equity Virtual Forum Series. Let’s Talk Equity
Weather & Skin Cancer Prevention: Don't Fry Day May 28 Cody Barnett, MPH The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention has designated the Friday before Memorial Day as “Don’t Fry Day” to raise awareness of skin cancer prevention and to encourage everyone to protect their skin as we unofficially kick off the summer season. The National Council is the united voice of 40 organizations, associations, and agencies dedicated to skin cancer prevention in the United States. Don’t Fry Day is a great opportunity for meteorologists nationwide to help reduce rising rates of skin cancer by promoting sun-safe behaviors. Like the temperature, wind speed, and precipitation, ultraviolet radiation (UV) from the sun is an important weather element that fluctuates on a daily basis; yet is not commonly mentioned or included in weather reports. Due to the potentially harmful impact of UV radiation on skin and eyes, you are in a prime position to improve your community’s health and safety by making them aware of the UV Index as part of your report. You will provide a much-needed service by reminding your community to take appropriate action to stay safe in the sun. Why is Skin Cancer Prevention an Important Issue?
How you can help: Encourage your community to take “Small Steps for Sun Safety,” including:
Doing one of these practices is helpful; doing more is even better and will provide you with more protection from dangerous UV rays. We have created a comprehensive toolkit (view here) (download accompanying resources here) that includes additional background information, as well as ready to use social media posts, infographics, talking points, and more. For More Information:
Keep your pack sun safe this Memorial Day Weekend and always! Wear sunscreen, sunglasses, sun protective clothing and seek shade.
National Safe Boating Resources
Are you hiring? Reach a variety of candidates through the NWA Jobs Corner.
Current Jobs: The University of South Alabama is seeking for a full-time Meteorologist with these minimum qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in meteorology from an accredited institution as approved and accepted by the University of South Alabama. In-depth understanding of tropical cyclone structure and tropical cyclone forecasting techniques is required.- The University of South Alabama (5/25/2021) Weather & Radar is looking for an Editorial Manager who would like to be responsible for the growth and success of their weather app in the U.S. TriVector is seeking a Scientist with experience in numerical modeling or operational forecasting of the physical earth system (atmosphere, ocean, land, ice) to support the effort to accelerate interagency improvements in the nation's earth system modeling capabilities, by coordinating among leadership, The American Meteorological Society invites nominations and applications for the role of executive director. The executive director will lead with strategic and collaborative vigor, drive organizational innovation and enhance the relevance and impact of AMS on its members and society.
The May Webinar titled Citizen Science Initiatives in Meteorology: CoCoRaHS and More is now available on the NWA YouTube Channel.
Tell your friends that an NWA membership supports educational materials such as the monthly NWA Webinars, this Newsletter and more. Then invited them to join!
The 22nd Northeast Regional Operational Workshop Call for Papers
Next Distant Social on June 23 Dates for other Distant Socials are:
NWS Seeking Comments from Users on Providing NCEP NWP Data in the Cloud Through July 31, 2021 The National Weather Service (NWS) Office of Dissemination seeks to inform users of NOAA’s demonstration to support the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) data in the NOAA public cloud. We will accept comments from users through July 31, 2021. The NWS Program Offices and NCEP are working with the NOAA Big Data Program (BDP) to provide a full complement of three (3) NCEP NWP model datasets via the cloud: the Global Forecast System (GFS): the RAPid Refresh (RAP): and the High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR). BDP provides public access to NOAA's open data on commercial cloud platforms through public-private partnerships. As part of a 10-year contract initiated in 2019, BDP has made available approximately 8 petabytes of NOAA data which includes over 150 different datasets to date. The cloud-based services are designed to augment access to the NWP data via BDP cloud service provider (CSP) partners. Along with other NOAA See the full announcement for much more information.
Promote Lightning Safety Awareness June 20-26 Lightning Safety Awareness Week was created to promote lightning education and save lives. Help the National Lightning Safety Council spread the word June 20-26 or anytime lightning is expected in your area. They have resources and data on their website to help you develop messaging. The NWS Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador's lightning page also contains helpful information. They have safety resources for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community, those with intellectual disabilities, and Spanish-language content.
The full NWA Event Calendar is located in Member Connect. Have an event to include on our NWA calendar? Submit them to [email protected]!
Weather-Ready Nation Summer Safety Campaign
HELP!
Please help the NWS Weather-Ready Nation program and the NWA promote weather safety this summer. The NWS has many resources to aid you in this promotion. They are located on the Weather-Ready Nation Summer Safety Campaign webpage.
In his two years at the NWA, Bryce moved us forward in the marketing and communications arena. We are grateful for his work and friendship. It was a pleasure to work with him. It is fortunate that he is nearby so we can stay in touch. We wish Bryce much success in his new position.
Sol Hirsch K-12 Education Grant Applications Due June 8 Please help us promote the NWA Foundation Sol Hirsch K-12 Education Grants. The image below is clickable and downloadable. The NWA Foundation Board thanks all who have donated to this fund and to the Foundation in general. You are helping dreams become realities.
Share Your 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.
National Weather Association | 3100 Monitor Ave, Suite 123 | Norman OK 73072 | 405.701.5167 Publisher: Janice Bunting, NWA CEO Submit newsletter items to [email protected] |
National Safe Boating Week ends on May 28, yet the safety messages can be promoted anytime. The National Safe Boating Council has a 
The 22nd Northeast Regional Operational Workshop will be held virtually via GotoMeeting on November 9-10, 2021. The 
The next #DistantSocial will be held on Wednesday June 23 starting at 8:30 pm ET. All NWA members are invited to join the conversation!
NWA Communications and Marketing Coordinator Bryce McElhaney received an offer to become the Marketing Director of a local heat and air company, and he moved onto that position.
Announcements
Find the join link under Member Resources on your Member Portal home page (must be logged in).
Questions? Contact [email protected]
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