Asheville AMS Chapter Meeting Minutes

Thursday, March 2, 2006     

 

The Asheville Chapter of the American Meteorological Society held its fifth meeting for 2005-2006 in Laurel Forum, Karpen Hall, University of North Carolina at Asheville (UNCA), at 7:00 pm on Thursday, March 2, 2006.  Twenty-one people attended the meeting.

 

Business Meeting

 

            Old Business

 

The Secretary of the Chapter, Susan Tarbell presided at the meeting.  The treasurer’s report was read and approved.  The balance as of March 2, 2006 is $685.68.  The January meeting minutes were read and approved. 

 

It took a while for Asheville to have its first measurable snowfall for the snow forecasting contest. Susan Tarbell had emailed the rules of the contest to all members.  Submission was due November 30th, and only AMS Asheville Chapter members could vote.  The main question was “On what date will the first measurable snowfall (1 inch or more) happen at the Asheville Airport starting from December 1st on??”  In case of a tie, what amount would be measured?  Marjorie McGuirk won the contest with her vote of February 14, 2006(!!) and received a $25.00 gift certificate to a local restaurant.

 

New Business

 

John White discussed a couple of Science Fairs that were coming up. He asked the members present what kind of gifts were given in the past to winners.  He hopes to attend a couple of them.

 

Susan Tarbell and Marjorie McGuirk discussed attending the Annual AMS conference in late January, early February in Atlanta, GA.  They both had a great experience.

 

Guest Speakers

 

Susan Tarbell introduced the speakers for the evening: LtCol Ann Gravier, TSgt Lois Ellingson, and TSgt Michelle Moses.  All three ladies serve in the Air Force and are stationed with the Air Force Combat Climatology Center, in Asheville, NC.  They all recently took part in “Operation Iraqi Freedom” or “Operation Enduring Freedom” in Southwest Asia.  They each reported on their experience in that part of the world.

 

LtCol Ann Gravier received her BS in mathematics, and an MS in Meteorology.  She has been in the Air Force for 17 years and was recently stationed in Bagram, Afghanistan.  Southwest Asia is generally arid, with a hot desert climate, persistent high winds, thunderstorms, and turbulence plus extreme heat.  There are many dust storms which have seasons also.  This is important for the field commanders to know.  Ann stated that there is sometimes snow accumulation and flooding, and clouds and icing.  These all have much impact on airplane operations. 

 

The weather personnel in these remote places have a “Reachback” to various sites in the United States.  Reachback occurs through web base and email at Headquarters Air Force Weather Agency in Omaha, NE; Air Force Combat Climatology Center in Asheville, NC; and the 28th Operational Weather Squadron at Shaw AFB, SC which gives a 24/7 operations support.  The Joint Operational Area Forecasts (JOAF) are daily forecast discussions (held on secure “secret” computers) with guidance on overall expected conditions and a 5-day outlook on meteorological hazards.  This is all briefed to senior decision-makers on weather effects on theater operations.  You need to coordinate theater weather equipment, personnel, and requirements; “One-theater, one forecast.”    

 

TSgt Lois Ellingson was born and raised in Maine.  She has been in the Air Force for 14 years.  She was also stationed at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan.  In preparation for this assignment, she had to have a lot of training such as: Tactical equipment training (includes a tactical observing equipment, a tactical satellite receiver, and a tactical forecast system); M-16 qualification training; chemical warfare training, self-aid buddy care training; law of armed conflict training; force protection training; weather refresher training; plus equipment issue.  Each military person has to carry a lot of stuff!!  She was part of a 3-person team that operated 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Each team was part of a resource protection for over 70 aircraft and more than 17,000 troops.  They had to prepare weather briefings for all local and transient aircraft missions as requested; approximately 100-150 briefs per month.

 

Lois discussed the weather challenges facing them and the biggest were the “mountains, mountains, mountains” to the west of the base.  There were drainage winds out of the mountains to the North and moisture from the south coming up the valley and being held in the “bowl.”  There were thunderstorms, inversions, and even the mountains stopping the weather from making it to Bagram.  Data was sparse and satellite pictures were usually not current.  TSgt Ellingson was there when the big earthquake hit Pakistan.  Bagram Air Base was used as a staging area for humanitarian relief operations.

 

TSgt Michelle Moses has been in the Air Force almost 11 years.  She has been a weather forecaster for 7 years and provides weather data to National Intelligence Agencies.  She was stationed at Balad Air Base/Logistic Support Area Anaconda, Iraq for 120 days.  The weather unit (staff of 9) supports 17 airframes and 200 aircraft.  There are at least 2 people on each shift which usually give 50-60 aircrew briefings a day.  11,004 combat sorties happened while she was stationed in Iraq plus over 140 mortars/missiles.  She described living there and the “hooches” that they lived in, like barracks, and the “cadillacs” which held the showers and toilet facilities. 

 

Michelle described the many haboobs and shamals that happened quite regularly.  A haboob is a strong wind which is often a sandstorm or duststorm.  A shamal is a northwest wind which can generally last from one to five days.  Some shamals can last even longer and create a haze that is often so thick as to obscure the land, making navigation dangerous.  Because of these storms, the weather unit is constantly cleaning the meteorological instruments so they can work properly.  TSgt Moses showed a video that was taken of a sandstorm (haboob) that went through the base there in Iraq.  In just a matter of minutes, the base went completely dark.  Quite extraordinary!   

 

After questions from the audience, the meeting was adjourned by Susan Tarbell.

 

Conclusion

 

The next chapter meeting is planned for the end of April, 2005.

 

                                                                       

                                                                        Respectfully submitted,

 

 

                                                                        Susan A. Tarbell