Chapter News
September 2005

ARKANSAS

September 27, 2005

The first Chapter meeting of the fall season was held on September 27th. The meeting convened at 700 PM at the National Weather Service office in North Little Rock with 8 members and guests present.

Paul Iniguez, a Meteorologist Intern with the National Weather Service in North Little Rock, gave a presentation on the Arkansas Drought of 2005. Drought is a natural occurring phenomenon. Different types of drought include meteorological, agricultural and hydrological. Spring 2005 was the 7th driest on record in Arkansas, which sparked the beginning of the drought in meteorological and agricultural aspects. As spring turned to summer, rainfall deficits continued, which lead the state into a hydrological drought. At the height of the drought, a large area of southwestern Arkansas was classified in an Extreme Drought on the U.S. Drought Monitor. Year-to-date rainfall deficits in that area were on the order of 10 to 15 inches. The remnants of Hurricane Rita moved into Arkansas late in September, and brought significant drought relief. While in the most simple terms the Arkansas drought was induced by a persistent 500mb high pressure ridge over the south central United States through the spring and summer, additional research may show the large scale and more complex processes which cause drought. During and after the presentation, the group participated in a question and answer session.

The meeting was adjourned at 820 PM.---Newton Skiles.



ASHEVILLE

The Asheville Chapter of the American Meteorological Society held its first official meeting for 2005-2006 in Laurel Forum, Karpen Hall, University of North Carolina at Asheville (UNCA), at 7:00 pm on Thursday, September 22, 2005. Thirteen people attended the meeting.

Business Meeting

Old Business

The entire membership had the opportunity to vote online for the slate of officers presented to them in August with space provided for write-ins.

The officers for the year 2005-2006 are:
President-Kenneth Walters, retired Air Force and Civil Service (AFCCC)
Vice President-Mike Cuevas, WLOS Chief Meteorologist
Secretary-Susan Tarbell, Air Force Weather Technical Library, AFCCC
Treasurer-Andrew Lance, UNCA student

New Business

President Kenneth Walters discussed upcoming meetings and the speakers. He also mentioned an active member of the AMS Asheville Chapter, John Louer, who is very ill with Leukemia. Our prayers go out to John and his family. John died October 27, 2005.

Our Chapter received a letter from Kelly Garvey, AMS, about the Chapter Breakfast to be held January 31, 2006 in Atlanta at the annual AMS conference. Ken Walters and Susan Tarbell will be attending this breakfast.

Guest Speaker

Our guest speaker for the night was Keith Bamberger, Information and Communication Specialist, North Carolina Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources, Division of Air Quality (DAQ), Asheville Regional Office, Swannanoa, NC. He was born in Pennsylvania, but grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Keith graduated from Kalamazoo College in 1989 and worked in science education in Maine, Washington, DC, and North Carolina for 15 years before starting with the DAQ last fall. His responsibility is educational community outreach. In that capacity, he has served on the Board of the Clean Air Community Trust, and is active with several other boards and committees on environmental issues.

The title of Mr. Bamberger's talk was "We All Live Down Wind : Air Quality in the Mountains of North Carolina." In other words, "Looking at Western North Carolina's Future Air Quality." The Division of Air Quality has many roles: permitting, compliance and enforcement, monitoring, mobile sources, forecasting, modeling, planning and attainment, education and outreach, and open burning. Open burning can lead to up to $10,000 fine if you are not doing this correctly. The rule is "Burn only what you grow."

Air Quality Issues are: Ground level ozone, Particulate material, and Visibility. Ground level ozone is the only one that the DAQ forecasts for. It is mainly a summertime pollutant and is stratospheric and at ground-level (Good up high-bad nearby). Ozone is not emitted directly into the atmosphere. It is formed through complex photochemical reactions involving: sunlight; precursor pollutants which include volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides; and critical meteorological conditions.

Ozone has many public health risks. When inhaled, even at low levels, ozone can cause inflammation of lung tissue and cause acute respiratory problems. It can aggravate, possibly trigger asthma and decrease lung capacity. Over one-half of 8th graders in North Carolina have been diagnosed with asthma. Knoxville, TN has the highest evidence of asthma.

2002 was a very bad year for ozone levels. During a year like that, western North Carolina can achieve "nonattainment." What does "nonattainment" mean? It can mean: public stigma of a "bad air" area; impacts on economic development and tourism; tougher permitting for industry; make industrial recruitment more difficult; harder to do new road projects; and highway funds can be frozen or lost. The Great Smokies are in a "nonattainment" because of Knoxville's pollution. An "Attainment of Standard" should be in place by June 2009. On a good note, 2004 was a good year for ozone.

The primary sources of particulate material are combustion of fireplaces, wood stoves, open burning, vehicles, and industry. Public health risks of particulate material include premature death from heart and lung disease, and aggravation of heart and lung diseases. The latter risk involves more hospital admissions, doctor and ER visits, medication use, and school and work absences.

Visibility is a continuing problem in the mountains of western North Carolina and becoming more so each day. Mainly the problem is haze. Sulfates and nitrates are suspended in the air which contributes to the acid rain. Sulfur dioxide emissions are mostly from power plants. Nitrogen oxides are mostly from highway driving. Other emissions of concern are mercury, ammonia, and carbon. Abundant sunlight increases chemical reactivity; and abundant rainfall and humidity enhances deposition and visibility effects.

Why is air pollution important? Air pollution is impacting our health, environment, and economy. Monitoring at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park since 1980 has shown that emissions of sulfur, nitrogen, and carbon from eastern U.S. sources impact park resources and cause: ozone pollution impacts to public health and forests; fine particle pollution impacts to public health; haze impact to visitor enjoyment; and acid rain impacts to streams and forests. All this could put us into a "nonattainment" status.

There are many ways we can conserve energy at home and work such as: better insulation of our home; turning off unused lights and computers; adjusting thermostats to save energy; driving less-smarter-cleaner by carpooling and driving within speed limit; limiting idling of your car; keeping your engine tuned up; and taking our lunch or walking to a restaurant.

The Clean Smokestacks Bill received a standing ovation when it became law. This bill will greatly reduce emissions. On March 10, 2005, the EPA issued the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR), a rule that will achieve the largest reduction in air pollution in more than a decade. CAIR will ensure that Americans continue to breathe cleaner air by dramatically reducing air pollution that moves across state boundaries. By 2015, CAIR will provide many health and environmental benefits.---Susan A. Tarbell.


CENTRAL ILLINOIS

Minutes of the September 14, 2005 Meeting of the Central Illinois Chapter of the American Meteorological Society.

Meeting Overview

The September 14, 2005 meeting of the Central Illinois Chapter of the American Meteorological Society (CIAMS) was held at the Bonanza Restaurant in Lincoln, Illinois. The meeting began at approximately 7:45 pm, after everyone had finished their meals. There were 23 people were in attendance. After the business portion of the meeting, Steven Hilberg, Director of the Midwestern Regional Climate Center within the Illinois State Water Survey in Champaign, IL gave a talk entitled, "Deja Vu All Over Again - A Climatological Renaissance in the U.S." The meeting then concluded shortly after 9:00 PM.

Business

Mike Kruk researcher at the Illinois State Water Survey and CIAMS President opened the meeting by acknowledging those who helped with the first CIAMS Chapter picnic which was held on August 28th at Weldon Springs State Park near Clinton, Illinois. Mike reported that the picnic was very successful and hoped that it was the first of many future picnics. More than 25 members, family, and friends attended the picnic.

Llyle Barker presented the treasurer's report. The Chapter's account balance is currently $3141, of which $1862 is earmarked for the 2nd Midwest Extreme and Hazardous Weather Conference in October 2005. Since the last meeting, money was spent on picnic related items, and for the conference, on the design of the Conference Logo and on reminder postcards labels and stamps. Prior to the meeting, there were 13-paid chapter members. There was some discussion that the Program and Activities Committee, along with the Executive Committee is interested in bringing in one outside speaker per year. This would cost approximately 300-400$, which is the expected funds raised by dues collection. Additional discussion will take place over the course of the next few weeks to allocate funds to each Standing Committee, and to organize and develop a working budget for the current fiscal year.

Steve Hilberg, chair of the 2nd Midwest Extreme and Hazardous Weather Regional Conference, reported that the conference will take place in Champaign, IL on 14-15 October 2005. Twenty-four abstracts were accepted as oral presentations for the conference. The three invited speakers (Dr. Paul Kocin, Tim Marshall, PE, and Dr. Morris Weisman) are set to come. To date, 22 persons have registered for the conference. The early registration deadline is September 22nd, and thereafter, the cost of the registration increases to $125 from $95.

The officers are also soliciting interested persons to design a chapter logo and a chapter poster highlighting the people and activities that have contributed to the success of the CIAMS during the past several years. The logo would be included on the poster. The poster would be excellent for presentation at the AMS annual meeting in January as well as the Midwest Extremes Conference in October. It would also serve to illustrate why the CIAMS should be selected as "Chapter of the Year." Please submit any photos or written documentation you may have to Tom Bellinger or Mike Kruk.

Nancy Westcott gave a brief report on behalf of Mike Spinar for the Education and Public Outreach Committee. We received an announcement from the American Meteorological Society regarding AMS/Industry Minority College Scholarships. Please contact Mike Spinar for further information.

Leslie Ensor represented the Program and Activities Committee at the meeting. She reported the planned dates for upcoming CIAMS meetings:

Date, Day, Location, Speaker, affiliation

November 15, Tuesday, Decatur, Dr. Carl Bernacchi, ISWS

January 19, Thursday, Bloomington , TBA

March 15, Wednesday, Champaign, TBA

May 2, Monday, Clinton, TBA, Annual Election Mtg

Invited Talk

Steven Hilberg, Director of the Midwest Regional Climate Center at the Illinois State Water Survey, Champaign gave a talk entitled, "Deja Vu All Over Again - A Climatological Renaissance in the U.S." He presented a historical look at weather and climatological observations dating from the early 1600 to the present. Steve presented a time line of the main agencies that have overseen weather and climate data and its uses, as well as a view of the more recent history of the ebb and flow of climatological services, in other words, a "meteorological climatology".


In recent years, the internet has made accessing climate data easier for researchers, forecasters, and the public user. Futher more powerful computers allow for data storage and for more easily readable and useful product displays. Near real-time data are more readily available for input into weather and climate forecasting models, for input into climate products, and for dissemination to the public. Recent climatological events, such as El Niño in 1997-98, the spring / summer 2005 corn-belt drought, and the hurricane Katrina disaster all have elevated the awareness of the effects of weather and climate on society. The utility of climate monitoring to the NWS, the USDA, the media and general public has been best exemplified in recent years by the advent of "The Drought Monitor", a joint venture of the Departments of Agriculture (Agricultural Weather Center) and Commerce (NOAA/CDC, NOAA/NWS, NOAA/NCDC), with assistance from other Federal Agencies, the Regional Climate Centers (RCCs) and State Climatologists among others. There are encouraging signs regarding interest in and funding for climate services: the National Weather Service has created a Climate Service Division, the Climate Reference Network (CRN) has been funded well enough that 76 sites are now operating, funds have been allocated to modernize the NWS Cooperative Stations, nearly every state now has a state climatologist program, and also common data bases (such as the Applied Climate Information System) are being developed for utilization by the National Weather Service, State Climatologist Offices and the RCCs. Climate services in its many forms appear to be alive and well at this point in time.---Nancy Westcott.



CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY

Meeting Date: Tuesday, September 6, 2005
http://www.rso.cmich.edu/scams

Attendance: (29 people) Meghan Bagnasco, Mike Barres, Michelle Benny, Scott Berschback, Chris Burling, Joe Ceru, Matt Comben, Michael Estime, Jennifer Green, Andy Hatzos, Cassie Hoch, Danielle Homich, Brandon Hoving, Matthew Kidwell, Rachel Kulik, Morris Langworthy III, Andrew Mansman, Shannnon Matias, Kelly McKenzie, Johnathon Merrick, Evita Moreau, Nathan Niedzwiecki, Andrew Schlaud, Chris Snider, Sara Strey, Derek VanDam, Jessie Watmore, Scott Young, Dave Younghist

Meeting In Session: 9:05 pm

President's Report Vice President's Report Treasurer's Report SGA's Report Open Floor Next Meeting Meeting Date: Tuesday, September 13, 2005
http://www.rso.cmich.edu/scams

Attendance: (32 people) Meghan Bagnasco, Mike Barres, Michelle Benny, Scott Berschback, Christine Bukowski, Chris Burling, Joe Ceru, Matt Comben, Michael Estime, Jennifer Green, Drew Greenman, Andy Hatzos, Cassie Hoch, Annie Hoeze, Danielle Homich, Brandon Hoving, Tara Isonl, Matthew Kidwell, Rachel Kulik, Morris Langworthy III, Shannnon Matias, Kelly McKenzie, Johnathon Merrick, Evita Moreau, Nathan Niedzwiecki, Cameron Pitcel, Andrew Schlaud, Chris Snider, Sara Strey, Derek VanDam, Jessie Watmore, Scott Young, Dave Younghist

Meeting In Session: 9:05 pm

President's Report Vice President's Report Treasurer's Report SGA's Report Conference Open Floor Next Meeting

Meeting Date: Tuesday, September 27, 2005
http://www.rso.cmich.edu/scams

Attendance: (34 people)

Meeting In Session: 9:04 pm

President's Report Vice President's Report Treasurer's Report Secretary's Report SGA's Report Open Floor Next Meeting Meeting Adjourned: 9:54 pm---Jennifer Green.



CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA

The speaker for the September meeting of the Central North Carolina Chapter of the AMS was Dr. Matt Parker of NC State University. Dr. Parker received his undergraduate degree form Valparaiso University, and then went on to Colorado State for graduate work. He then became a professor in the Geosciences department at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. This fall will be Dr. Parker's first semester at NC State, and he will teach the mesoscale/forecasting class in the spring, and then expand into dynamic and other course in future semesters.

Thursday night talk was entitled "Impacts and predictability of Mesoscale Convective Systems." Dr. Parker began the talk by giving an overview of thunderstorm development and differentiating between organized groups of thunderstorm, convective systems and mesoscale convective systems. The key point being mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) are on the scale of 100 km and greater, so Coriolis force is no longer negligible. An example of a mesoscale system is a squall line, whose line of thunderstorms shares a common leading edge and move approximately in tandem.

Dr. Parker then showed radar and satellite images of several examples of convective systems, some of which cover approximately 3 states. Organized convection can produce severe weather, such as large hail, straight-line winds, localized flooding, and even tornadoes. Due to the large spatial scale of the systems, damage can occur across a large area over a long period of time. This makes understanding the development and progression of MCSs important. The hazards associated with mesoscale convective systems can cause an immense economic impact on the central US, as hail and winds can damage crops. Additionally, a quarter to a third of the rain during the growing season can come from the MCSs, and the lack of these systems can jeopardize crop yields. Mesoscale convective systems are also the most common cause of flash floods in the central US, and can cause flooding elsewhere.

Another need to study MCSs stems from surface features created by the system. Long-lived mesoscale convective systems heat the atmosphere on a regional scale, and can leave behind long-lived vortices as they decay. Known as a mesoscale convective vortex (MCV), these remnants can be seen as "swirls" in satellite loops; and can create precipitation, spawn another mesoscale convective system, or even a tropical system if the MCV drift out over the ocean. Most MCSs in North Carolina are formed from MCVs that drift in from the Plains. One can see how mesoscale convective vortices can impact the predictability on synoptic scales.

In term of climatology, MCSs occur across the globe, usually downwind of terrain. In the US, MCSs usually form in the high plains, just east of the Rockies, and then move from west to east across the Great Plains. As opposed to classic thunderstorm development, which typically occurs in the late afternoon (~ 3 pm); MCS typically roll through the plains in the overnight hours with a maximum occurrence at midnight. If the development of such an MCS is not captured or suggested by the 12Z model runs and soundings, forecasts can change drastically.

Efforts have been made to better understand the types of MCSs. In a study of 90 system, ~ 60% were convective lines with trailing stratiform precipitation (TS). The remaining 40% was equally split between convective lines with leading precipitation (LS) and precipitation parallel to the convective line (PS). The organization is important, as it, along with the speed of the system, will determine how much rain a location along the path will receive. Dr. Parker then shared modeling studies, which have helped to determine the convective circulation patterns responsible for each of the different forms of mesoscale convective systems. Dr. Parker then concluded by describing the future direction of mesoscale research and opening the floor to questions.---Bebhinn A. Do.



CENTRAL OKLAHOMA

Meeting Minutes
Tuesday September 27, 2005

Introductions: The four new officers for the 2005-06 year were announced.

President Dave Jorgensen
Vice-President Steve Corfidi
Treasurer Kit Wagner
Secretary Sarah Corfidi

Prior to the meeting, a pizza dinner was provided by COCAMS/NWA.

Treasurer's Report:
Kit Wagner reported that we have around $4800.00 in the COCAMS/NWA treasury, and about $12,900.00 in the National Severe Weather Workshop fund. Last year, the operating expenses for COCAMS were covered by the yearly dues of $15/member. Membership dues for this year were collected by Kit Wagner before and after the meeting. Please visit: http://cocams.nwc.ou.edu/join.html to download a membership form.

Secretary's Report:
Sarah Corfidi reported that the new URL for the COCAMS webpage is: http://cocams.nwc.ou.edu/ The webpage has been moved to the National Weather Center (NWC) server and hopefully this will remain the permanent site. Sarah will create a member email list which will be used to communicate information about the website and meetings.

NSWW volunteer:
Keith Brewster gave a short presentation requesting volunteers who can help him with the National Severe Weather Workshop. Some specific tasks would be helping with the mailing lists early in the year, and volunteering at the workshop. Please email Keith Brewster if interested.

DVD Sales:
Jim Ladue said that it was possible to create more "Storms of 2004" severe weather DVD's, which proved last year to be a valuable fund-raiser. Most of the money made from the sale of the DVD's (75%) was given to the American Red Cross. Jim is working on a DVD for the 2005 season, which will feature storm footage from recent hurricanes. For more information about the 2004 DVDs, please see: http://towerofstorms.net/sls22/

National Weather Festival (Norman, OK):
The Norman Chamber of Commerce's Weather Committee will host the National Weather Festival from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, at 1313 Halley Circle in Norman. The free public event will feature tours of the NOAA Weather Partners, displays by local weather organizations, children's activities, and hourly weather balloon launches. Members discussed if COCAMS/NWA would like to host an informational booth, possibly selling "Storms of 2004" DVDs.

President's notes: Dave Jorgensen announced that the next COCAMS/NWA meeting will be on Tuesday October 18, 2005 and will feature a tour of the new phased array radar with Doug Forsyth of NSSL. Members will meet at the NSSL at 6pm for the meeting.

Speaker: Jim Ladue, of the WDTB, was the speaker for this meeting. Jim gave a very informative and interesting presentation of his trip to Finland and Austria this past summer. Jim developed severe weather training presentations and spent time in Finland and Austria working with meteorologists who are interested in improving severe weather forecasts in Europe.---Sarah Taylor.



CORNELL UNIVERSITY

September 2, 2005

Hurricane Katrina Relief
We have decided to donate the proceeds from our annual snowfall contest to the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. The snowfall contest is simple. For $1 you have the chance to guess the day and amount of the first snowfall over one inch in Ithaca. We hope to have a table on Ho Plaza either Thursday or Friday of this coming week to sell the contest forms, so watch for more information. Also, we are working to get the club involved in any relief activities planned by the university as a whole.

Dues
Dues are $15 for the year, or $8 per semester. Freshmen are free first semester and then can join for $7 second semester. Please either give your dues to Pat (pcm28), or place them in the CCAMS envelope in 1125 (checks made out to CCAMS). Dues go towards club events such as movie and bowling nights as well as alumni weekend, so pay your dues!

AMS Conference
The AMS Annual Meeting will be held in Atlanta, Georgia from January 28 to February 2 (the second week of spring semester classes). Since the conference is being held somewhat closer to us this year, we would like to try to go together as a large group. Registration is $150 for student members of the AMS, and this cost can potentially be partially offset by applying for funding through the AMS. The AMS Student Assistantship Program will cover your hotel stay and provide a small stipend in exchange for working on various aspects of the conference. There is also an AMS funded Student Travel Grant. This can only be used by seniors, and covers airfare, hotel, and conference registration. If you would like more information about either of these funding options or about the conference in general, contact Owen (ohs3).

Weatherphone
Weatherphone started last week. If you're interested in forecasting and would like to learn more, come to the map room in the afternoon (generally around 2-3pm) and work with a lead forecaster. This is a great way to learn more about forecasting, as well as meet some of the upperclassmen. There is a list posted on the back door in 1102 of the lead forecasters for each day, as well as a sign up sheet. Feel free to stop by any time you can make it if you can't commit to a specific day every week.

Ithacation
Ithacation is a monthly newsletter published by the club. It usually contains information about what students have been doing (internships, conferences, etc.), as well as various weather related articles. The Ithacation co-chairs are working to improve newsletter this year, so watch for more information about potential article topics. In the meantime, if you had a weather related job, internship, or other experience over the summer, please write it up within the next two weeks and submit it to either Dan Zarrow (daz8) or Dan Bader (dab82).

Apparel
Our first apparel drive won't start until October, but we still have umbrellas, pint glasses, and pencils available from past years. If you have any questions about apparel, contact Yolanda (ylr2).

National Collegiate Weather Forecasting Contest (NCWFC)
This year's contest starts Monday, September 12. This contest is different from our local Ithaca forecast competition. For the NCWFC, a high, low, and precip category forecast is entered Monday-Thursday of each week. The city you are forecasting for changes every two weeks. If you want to participate this year, contact Dan Bader (dab82) by Monday. The cost is $4.

Internship Guide
We are working to update the old internship guide. Forms will be available to fill out about your internship beginning next week in the map room. If you've had an internship in the past, please pick up a form and fill it out to help other people looking for internships.

Social Events
While the weather is still nice, we'd like to plan some outdoor events. We've thought about softball on the fields on north or a barbecue at Stewart Park. If you are interested in either of these or have any other ideas, please let me (feb9), Kim (kbc6) or Tom (ted27) know. If there is enough interest we'll plan something and send out an email to let everyone know. Other ideas for activities once it starts to get colder are a bowling night, movie night, and a trip to the ropes course/yurt night.

Webmaster
We are looking for a new webmaster to take over when Nick graduates this spring. If you're interested, contact Nick (ntc4).---Faye Barthold.



DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

The Marian Koshland Science Museum invited the DC-AMS Chapter to a presentation by Dr. Gerry Bell, Hurricane Specialist at the NOAA Climate Prediction Center, on Wednesday, September 14. Bell's presentation, "There's a Storm Brewing: Hurricane Forecasting" gave an overview of hurricane formation and focused on factors that influence seasonal hurricane activity. Dr. Bell took questions from the audience, including the effects of global warming on hurricane activity, to the large-scale patterns affecting tropical activity this season. Following Dr. Bell's presentation, the Koshland staff showed a NOVA video on the vulnerability of New Orleans to hurricanes, which aired on PBS last winter, ironically.

After the film, Chair Jason Samenow called a brief business meeting. He introduced the new officers, who talked about their plans for the coming year. Samenow announced that future meetings include a tour of the National Center for Environmental Prediction, in Camp Springs, MD, and the National Weather Service local Forecast Office in Sterling, VA.---Jason Samenow.



IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
September 27, 2005

Next meeting is Monday, October 31 at 7:00 p.m. We will have a costume contest.---Justin Gehrts.



KANSAS UNIVERSITY

9/13/05- Meeting minutes: Our first meeting of this school year was held September 13, 2005 at 5:30pm in Lindley Hall and opened by President Darin Brunin. Covered were the following : *Elections began shortly after opening.

Newly elected officers for 2005-2006 are as follows:

President: Alex Perkins
Vice President: Sarah Jones
Secretary: Erin Graham
Treasurer: Kristen McCann
Co-Social Chair: Ava Dinges and Nathan Broshear

Newly elected President, Alex Perkins took over the meeting as business continued.

Since this was our first meeting, members were asked to express any ideas for the upcoming year. Ideas formulated were: Other announcements made: Our website is http://chinook.atmo.ku.edu

The next meeting will be held Tuesday, September 27 at 5:30pm in Lindley 225.---Erin Graham.



LYNDON STATE COLLEGE

  • John
  • Ryan
  • Jim


    MILLERSVILLE UNIVERSITY

    September's Monthly review

    For the past month the officers have been involved in the mentor/men tee program. This program involves freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors to become acquainted within Millersville University's meteorology program. At our first AMS meeting of the fall 2005 semester a total of 76 students attended. We collected the dues owed ($4) along with member information. We rose over $4,000 for the victims of hurricane Katrina throughout the university. This money was donated to the local Red Cross. We are discussing merchandise to sell to the members before the end of the semester. The officers are planning on selling sweat shirts, tee shirts, coffee mugs, and umbrellas. We also went bowling as a group to break away from the endless nights of studying.---Jodie Frazee.



    OKLAHOMA UNIVERSITY

    OUSCAMS Meeting #2
    Tuesday September 13, 2005

    Officers Presiding:

    President- Christine Brown
    Vice-President- Jaclyn Williams
    Secretary- Christina Wall
    Treasurer- Melissa Moon
    Graduate Representative- Somer Erickson
    Senior Representative- Megan Ferris
    Junior Representative- Kari Austin
    Sophomore Representative- Melissa Koeka
    Freshmen Representative- Jessica Pierson
    Freshmen Representative- Emmale Davis
    Freshmen Representative- Vivek Mahale
    Faculty Advisor: Dr. Mike Biggerstaff

    Location: A 235
    Time Began: 5:11 pm

    The meeting began with Christine reminding the group about upcoming events. The next meeting will be Tuesday, September 27, and the topic will be graduate school. The trash pick-up will be held at 8 AM on Sunday, September 18. The SCAMS horse racing trip will be Friday September 16. Christine then asked for a showing of hands of everyone who had received emails from the class representatives and passed around a list for people who had not received emails to fix the problem. Next Melissa announced the SCAMS hiking/camping trip on September 17-18. She reminded the club that SCAMS would pay for the campsite, but food must be provided by the members. Melissa will send out further information through email. She also noted that the balance in our treasury is $2,255.59. Next Christina read the minutes from the previous meeting, and Christine reminded everyone about the OKC Philharmonic trip on December 1. She also asked how the group enjoyed the School of Meteorology picnic that took place last Friday. The general group consensus was that the picnic was excellent. The first speaker was Michael Morris (mrmorris@ou.edu) from the Education Abroad Office. He deals with the logistics and procedures for international exchange students. He described in detail OU's exchange program, how to get involved, and what was required of students who wish to study abroad. He mentioned that grades for classes taken as an exchange student are pass/fail. The deadlines for application are October 3 for the spring semester and March 1 for the fall semester. There is a $25 application fee, and two letters of recommendation as well as numerous interviews are required. Mr. Morris can be found in the old Science Hall in room 212. His phone number is 325-1693. The next speakers were Jessie Sagona (jsagona@ou.edu), an OU student who went to England for study abroad last spring, and Jenny Barnes (swu02jb@rdg.ac.uk), who is an exchange student from England. They talked about their experiences at the University of Reading in England. Jessie listed the classes that she got credit for in England- Physical Meteorology II and III, and Dynamics II. Jessie and Jenny also talked about the social side of studying in England and showed many pictures of the university. Next Nadine Schneider (nadine.s@ou.edu) talked about the Meteorological Institute of the University of Hamburg in Germany. She showed many pictures of the university and of her classes. The types of research done in Hamburg include marine meteorology, earth system modeling, and technical meteorology. The classes are much smaller, and there are not as many exchange students since the program only began last year. Next Melissa Moon (Melissa.L.Moon-1@ou.edu) and Dustin Williams (vanillaice@ou.edu) presented a slide show with music about their time studying in Australia at Monash University last spring. They also discussed life in Australia and what classes they took. Students who study abroad in Australia do not get credit for Physical Meteorology II, but they can take Dynamics II and Physical Meteorology III. The next speaker was Peter Lamb (plamb@ou.edu), an OU professor, who described Reading University as the "best in the world outside the US". He has flyers in his office for the exchange program for next spring. Ross Reynolds (r.reynolds@reading.ac.uk), who actually is visiting from Reading University, showed the group a book on the university that included details such as specifics about the courses. He suggested studying abroad because it allows you to get a good world perspective. The book will be placed in the School of Meteorology office if anyone is interested in reading it. The next speaker was Dr. Klein (pkklein@ou.edu), an OU professor from Germany. She provided more details about the exchange program to Hamburg. The program is designed to take place spring of the junior year. The student leaves for Germany in January, but from January until April, the student concentrates on learning German. Classes begin in April and last until July. Dr. Klein has a flyer about the program available in her office. The final speaker was Dr. Karoly (dkaroly@ou.edu), an OU professor from Australia. He spoke about the contrast between weather in the Southern and Northern hemispheres and how going to Australia for a semester helps the student experience this contrast. Dr. Karoly also mentioned that Monash University does not have a specific meteorology department. All of the meteorology courses are taught by meteorology and geology faculty. Finally, Christine thanked everyone for attending the meeting, and the meeting was dismissed at 6:45 pm.

    Fall 2005 calendar.


    OUSCAMS Meeting #3
    Tuesday September 27, 2005

    Location: A 235
    Time Began: 5:12 pm
    The panel of grad students consisted of the following people:
    Zach Dufran; hansolou@ou.edu
    Elaine Savageau; esavageau@ou.edu
    Christopher Godfrey; godfrey@ou.edu
    Jana Lesak; Jana.B.Lesak-1@ou.edu
    Clark Payne; mrweatherman@ou.edu
    Sean Arms; caver_sean@ou.edu
    Aaron Kennedy; kingphelsuma@ou.edu
    Somer Erickson; tornadosomer@ou.edu
    Laura Kanofsky; l.m.kanofsky@ou.edu
    Eric Ware; eric880@ou.edu
    Melissa Bukovsky; Melissa.Bukovsky@noaa.gov
    Andrew Hamm; andrew.hamm@ou.edu
    Kevin Goebbert; kevin.goebbert@ou.edu
    Karen Sturgis; kmsturgis@ou.edu ---Christy Wall.



    OMAHA-OFFUTT

    http://www.omahaoffuttams.org/meeting_details.php?id=45

    ---Evan Kuchera.



    OSWEGO STATE UNIVERSITY

    OSSCAMS (Met Club) Meeting Minutes Sept 21, 2005
    Attendance: 30

    Public Relations Report: Shawn Smith (cbr600f4iny@yahoo.com)
    -Jackets for Met Club: approx 80$ with big logo; 65$ w/o big logo.

    Treasurer Report: Nick Camizzi (camizzi@oswego.edu)
    -We have received $1,500.00 from SA
    -Weekend Trip to Binghamton NWS: approx $142.00 from budget
    -NESC Saratoga Springs $1,357.00 from budget (Brings cost per person to around $76.00 before fundraising)
    -Greg Stumpf: We need to fundraise this money as it couldn't come out of our budget.
    -Hat Fundraiser (Ball Caps and/or Winter Caps): Help pay for Greg Stumpf and NESC.
    -Start of a fundraising committee: Talk to Nick if you're interested.

    Secretary's Report: Brian Curtis (bcurtiswx@yahoo.com)
    -AMS Membership: www.ametsoc.org (Fill out an application online)
    Benefits: Cheaper Books, TONS of scholarships, Apply to go to conferences for free (almost), Looks GREAT on a resume, you can meet lots of important people, BAMS, Many other cool things!
    -AMS Scholarships: Can't be stressed enough!
    -Yahoo Groups: Get that really active http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osumetclub !

    Vice Presidents Report: Nicole Hannon (nhannon@oswego.edu)
    -NWS Binghamton (Dates to come later)
    -Magnets $2.00 each (Fundraiser)

    Presidents Report: Holly Sobocinski (stormchasegrl@hotmail.com)
    -NESC: It's an incredible opportunity, great contact builder, March 10-12, anywhere between $50-$90 (takes care of hotel, banquet, dinners)
    -National Conference: Jan 29th - Feb 2nd, Atlanta Georgia, Chris Thuman and Scott Steiger went to it last year, talk to them if you have any questions about it.
    -Community Service: Adopt a highway and a can drive, stuff will be posted in lab soon.
    -Al Roker is coming back to Oswego, hopefully all who signed up can attend!
    -Habitat for Humanity a possibility for a community service activity.---Brian Curtis.


    PACKERLAND

    Meeting Minutes-September 20, 2005

    Chip Bircher, a local Wisconsin Public Service employee, presented "Renewable Energy: Are Answers Blowin' in the Wind? Is there Anything New Under the Sun? to an enthusiastic group of students and members gathered at the UW Green Bay Christie Theater.

    The following is a brief summary of Mr. Bircher's presentation:

    A survey of environmentalism was studied, which asked, "How many Americans identify themselves as an environmentalist? How many Americans feel that we have a moral responsibility to protect nature?" The results indicate the percentage of American environmentalists has dropped sharply since 1991, while 92% believe there is a moral responsibility to protect nature. WPS has a great effect on the air/water/land over 24 counties and 11,000 square miles.

    Weather has a significant impact on WPS operations, whether due to storm outages, peak electric demand in hot weather, high natural gas prices, and coal delivery to power plants. Wind generation is another aspect concerning weather. Several wind speed surveys have been completed in the area. Wisconsin is considered to be a "moderate" wind state. Several wind farms have been built in the area, with several more on the way.

    Nature Wise markets "green" electricity to WPS customers. It is an effort to practice strong environmental stewardship and leadership. Electricity is generated from renewable energy resources, such as wind, landfill gas, and farm waste. Each year, 100 kWh per month of Nature Wise energy saves over 1,000 lbs. of coal use.

    Solar energy at WPS is presented to local schools through the SolarWise program. Goals are to educate students, teachers and the public about renewable energy, through solar systems installed at the schools. Currently there are 31 SolarWise installations in Northeast Wisconsin, with 3 more to be installed in 2006. 923,000 lbs. of coal have been saved, along with 1.6 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions through this program. Solar-electric performance data is available to the classrooms and public via the web.

    Building Integrated Photovoltaics installed in the UWGB Mary Ann Cofrin building is a partnership between WPS, the State of Wisconsin, and the UW System to investigate and demonstrate "green" building features. Solar windows, a solar roof, and a solar wall have been installed. Examples of these items were passed through the crowd.

    WPS opportunities for employment were discussed, along with questions and answers.
    In local chapter business, officers in attendance were introduced. If you have not already done so, please complete your 2005-2006 membership form and return to Peg.---Dale Walker.



    PLYMOUTH STATE UNIVERSITY

    All Members Meeting
    Date: Thursday September 8, 2005
    Minutes: 7:00-7:30pm
    Board Members in Attendance: Chris G, Chris W, Katie F, Andy T
    Attendance: 54

    Discussion:
    Chris G. Chris W. Katie F. Andy T. Executive Board Meeting

    Date: Monday September 26, 2005
    Minutes: 5-5:35pm
    Board Members in Attendance: Chris G, Chris W, Katie F, Andy T

    Topics that were discussed were: Accomplishments: Need to do: ---Christopher J. Winters.



    SMOKY MOUNTAIN

    The Smoky Mountain Chapter of the American Meteorological Society met on September 26th at Barley's Taproom in the Old City of Knoxville. After dinner, the meeting commenced at the Agricultural Engineering Building on the University of Tennessee campus where our guest speaker, Dr. Stewart Hager (Atmospheric and Environmental Research, Inc.), spoke about "Solar Sourced Atmospheric Spectra". Dr. Hager has developed a number of solar tracking systems at the University of Tennessee for remote sensing of atmospheric spectra, first with a 5-m Littrow spectrometer and later with a fourier transform spectrometer. Since completing his Ph.D. at U.T., Dr. Hager has continued to develop optical systems for atmospheric observing and has pursued spectra research in observing for trace gases. Dr. Hager recently accepted a position with Atmospheric and Environment Research (AER), Inc. in Lexington, Massachusetts, where he will continue his pursuit of atmospheric science research.---David Gaffin.



    TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

    The Texas A&M Student Chapter had a great first meeting! The 2005-2006 officers welcomed about 80 students at the September 13th meeting. We first had two faculty members from the Atmospheric Science Departments give speeches regarding the department and new faculty that have been hired. Our new storm chasing team introduced their new name, Texas Aggie Storm Chasers, and gave out information about safety seminars.

    The first to give our officer reports was Brad Klotz, 2005-2006 Vice President. He spoke about events in the coming months, such as trips to Dallas/Ft.Worth to visit the National Weather Service and TV Stations. Melissa Polt, Secretary and Emily Riley, treasurer gave their officer reports. Emily suggested starting a book about internships that previous students have obtained to help underclassman see what is out there. Keri Turner, our social chair, talked about the many social events we plan to have this semester! For example, movie nights and another Christmas Party as we did last year. After the meeting, we signed up new members and enjoyed some snacks! Our next meeting is October 4.---Melissa Polt.



    UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA

    September 15, 2005

    Officers
    President - Chasity Byrd
    Vice-President - Paul Boudreaux
    Secretary - Tara Golden
    Treasurer - Sommer Garrett
    Faculty Advisors - Ryan and Gina Wade
    Public Relation - Jenny Smith
    SeCAPS Coordinator - Javier Vazquez
    Webmaster - Jason Holmes

    Introduction: The new officers for the 2005-2006 school year were introduced, and each officer took turns sharing their meteorology track and year in college.

    Finances: Sommer spoke about member dues which are $10 and are good for one full academic year. Checks need to be made out to USA AMS.

    New Member Information: Sommer also passed out member information sheets to all new members. These sheets need to be turned in at the time you pay your dues.

    SeCAPS: Javy spoke about the 3rd annual Southeastern Coastal and Atmospheric Processes Symposium that will be held March 31-April 1. Anyone interested in being on a SeCAPS committee or serving as a committee head needs to contact Javy. There are six committees to choose from: design, public relations, arrangements, registration, publications, and technical staff. Flyers describing the symposium and the individual committees were handed out to all members.

    Intramurals: Sommer spoke briefly about upcoming intramural sports, including soccer and football. We need to make sure we have enough people interested in playing each of the sports before we sign up a team. Anyone interested in playing any of the intramural sports needs to contact the club via email or speak to an officer.

    Projects: We are welcoming any ideas that anyone has for public or community service projects. If you have any suggestions, please contact Jenny or email the club.

    Events: The club had planned on having a Welcome Week during the week of August 29-September 2, but it was postponed due to Hurricane Katrina. We are planning on rescheduling the Welcome Week activities for October 19-20. We will have a meeting on Oct. 19 at 5 p.m., and then everyone is invited to come play in the intramural flag footbal game at 6:30 p.m. On Thursday, we will be having a cookout at the mobile Municiple Park starting at 5 p.m. There will be hamburgers, hotdogs, chips, drinks, and snacks. If anyone has a volleyball net, football, frisbees, etc. please bring them with you.

    Speaker #1: Dr. Keith Blackwell, a meteorology professor at the University, gave a short post-Katrina briefing. He briefly discussed the following Hurricane Katrina topics: the early forecast track versus the actual track, the factors that lead to Katrina's rapid intensification, how Hurricane Katrina compared to Huricanes Camille and Ivan, and the winds and storm surge associated with Hurricane Katrina.

    Speaker #2: Chris Franklin, a graduate of USA, who is the morning meteorologist at FOX 8 in New Orleans, talked about his experience during Hurricane Katrina. He, along with a reporter, was evacuated from the city and sent to FOX 10 in Mobile. From their makeshift studio in Mobile, they broadcasted to the people in New Orleans from 10 p.m. Sunday until 5 a.m. Monday when others from FOX 8 relieved them. The FOX 8 studio in New Orleans was severely damaged by the flood waters.---Tara Golden.



     



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