Weathervane - University of Utah€™s Message By Department Chair, Dr. Kevin Perry [email protected] THE WASATCH Weathervane In this Issue: • Message from the Chair • AMS

on abstracts submitted to AMS. The level of participation by members of our Department in these two conferences is very impressive. The quality of the research being presented is even more so.

It is part of our Department philosophy that all students should be given the opportunity to attend at least one major scientific conference prior to graduation. Most of our graduate students attend multiple conferences during their academic career. Student participation is funded through a combination of research grants, matching money from The Graduate School and the Associated Students of the University of Utah, and from generous donations from friends and alumni. Please contact the Department if you are interested in sponsoring a student to participate in a conference.

Each year the Department selects an individual for our Distinguished Alumni Award (http://www.atmos.utah.edu/alumni/distinguished-alumni.php). The award recognizes outstanding contributions and service to the Atmospheric Sciences profession. We will begin reviewing nominations soon and could use your help in identifying suitable candidates. Please contact the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at [email protected] if you would like to nominate yourself or someone else for this award.

Chair’s MessageBy Department Chair, Dr. Kevin [email protected]

THEWASATCH

Wea

ther

vane

In this Issue: • Message from the Chair

• AMS Alumni Event

• Dean Search

• Two Faculty Win AMS Awards

• Dr. Perry’s Honors Praxis Lab on Air Quality, Health & Society wins Award

• Pathways to Success

• Ute Weather Center Football Game Forecasting

• Olympic Mountains Experiment

University of UtahDept. of Atmospheric Sciences135 S. 1460 E, Rm 819Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0110Phone: 801.581.6136Fax: 801.585.3681www.atmos.utah.edu

Professor Jay Mace tested out the Utah W-Band Radar at the Salt Flats in October. He aligned the Radar/platform underneath the CloudSat to calibrate the instrument against the satellite data.

Fall

2015

You’re invited! We are having an Alumni and Friends Reception at the American Meteorological Society’s (AMS) Annual Meeting in 2016! Please join us for light refreshments and catch up with some of your colleagues and fellow alums. The reception will be Tuesday, January 12 at 6:00pm.

Tis the season… for faculty recognition and dissemination of new knowledge. As the year comes to a close, I am pleased to report that two of our faculty members will be honored for their accomplishments at the upcoming American Meteorological

Society’s Annual Meeting (see inside for details). Public recognition for Dr. Edward Zipser and Dr. John Horel is both well-deserved and long overdue.

The faculty, staff, and students are busy making preparations for both the American Geophysical Union’s Fall Meeting in San Francisco (Dec) and the American Meteorological Society’s Annual Meeting in New Orleans (Jan). A total of 18 faculty, 4 postdocs, 4 staff, 12 Ph.D. students, 6 M.S. students, and 1 undergraduate student from our Department are presenters and/or coauthors on abstracts submitted to AGU. Likewise, a total of 13 faculty, 2 postocs, 5 staff, 4 Ph.D. students, 6 M.S. students, and 3 undergraduate students are presenters and/or coauthors

The Olympic Mountains Experiment (OLYMPEX) is one of the ground validation (GV) campaigns of the Global Precipitation Mission (GPM), a joint NASA project with JAXA (Japan). The primary objective of the experiment is to measure rain and snow especially in areas lacking ground-based radar observations. The Olympic Peninsula has been selected as a GV site because it provides an opportunity to make measurements from extensive surface-based and aircraft-based platforms, which can be used as surrogates for the GPM core satellite itself, thereby permitting useful data for validation of satellite algorithms even during stormy periods when there is no convenient satellite overpass.

The Olympic Mountains Experiment (OLYMPEX)

Dr. Edward Zipser will serve as one of the Flight Science Experiment Directors for OLYMPEX, while Dr. Jay Mace will serve as the Principle Investigator (PI) and one of the Flight Science Directors for the NASA ACE Radar Definition Experiment (RADEX). OLYMPEX will use the NASA DC-8 and the University of North Dakota Citation aircraft, while RADEX will use the NASA ER-2 aircraft. RADEX will field 4 Doppler Radars operating at various frequencies, advanced imagers that operate in the microwave, visible, and infrared frequencies, and a cloud

lidar. The purpose of RADEX is to collect a data set that exceeds the specifications of what we envision will be the next generation suite of cloud and precipitation remote sensing satellites of the coming decade. It so happens that collaborating closely with the NASA OLYMPEX campaign added value to both the RADEX remote sensing objectives and the larger science interests.

In practice, it is anticipated that all 3 aircraft will be closely coordinated in pursuit of common or highly complementary goals. Dr. Zipser & Dr. Mace will be assigned to specific shifts, probably of 8-12 hours each. They will be responsible for planning and executing flight missions, with highest priority given to the sampling of storm systems that bring rain and snow to the operations area, centered on the very rainy windward slope of the Olympic Mountains, where numerous radars, both fixed and mobile, and surface-based instrumentation are located. They will work together with the student forecasters (Trey Alvey, Sarah Bang, Leah Campbell, Ali Gingrey, and Peter Veals from the Department) to plan and set takeoff times, monitor progress of the flights, make adjustments to planned tracks as appropriate, and document the missions after landing for the project archives.

For more information about OLYMPEX, please see this site: http://olympex.atmos.washington.edu/index.html?x=Home

By Professors Ed Zipser & Jay Mace

Map of the Olympic Peninsula with the locations of the boundaries for the Olympic National Park, the US National Forests and Wilderness areas and the Quinault Reservation. (from OLYMPEX Ground Validation Experiment Field Operations Plan (Version 3))

Dean of the College of Mines & Earth SciencesThe University of Utah invites nominations and applications for the position of Dean of the College of Mines and Earth Sciences. The Dean will serve a five-year renewable term, ideally commencing July 1, 2016. The College is composed of four academic departments—Atmospheric Sciences, Geology and Geophysics, Metallurgical Engineering, and Mining Engineering. Current College of Mines & Earth Sciences Dean, Dr. Francis Brown, is retiring June 30, 2015 after 25 years of service to the college. For more information, please see the job announcement at https://utah.peopleadmin.com/postings/47027.

How to Contribute to the Department:Contribute in one of the following ways to help our students learn, our department grow, and our research expand. Contribute Time:Are you a researcher or professor or expert in Atmospheric Sciences or a related topic? We’d love to have you give a seminar in your area of expertise. Please email [email protected] if you’d like to sign up.

Are you an alumni whose company has job or internship opportunities for students from our department? Please let us know about these chances for our students to grow and learn from you. Please email [email protected] if you have an opportunity for our students. Contribute Experience:What has your career been like since you left our program? Would you be willing to share information about it with our students?

Could your company give our juniors or seniors a tour of resources or equipment used in Atmospheric Sciences or a related field?

Please email [email protected] if you have an opportunity or information to share with our students.

Contribute Financially:Financial donations allow our department to purchase new equipment, computers, and resources for our students. They also help fund our student-run Ute Weather Center and scholarships given to our undergraduates.

Donations may be made online here: https://umarket.utah.edu/ugive/index.php?gift_id=107. If you would like your donation to go to a specific departmental fund or endowment, please note this in the “Special Instructions” box. Thank you for your generosity and support.

If you would prefer to mail your donation to our office, please send a check payable to The Department of Atmospheric Sciences to:

Atmospheric SciencesUniversity of Utah135 S. 1460 E., Rm. 819Salt Lake City, UT 84112

Dr. Edward Zipser wins the 2016 Carl-Gustaf Rossby Research Medal

This prize is the highest award for atmospheric science awarded by the American Meteorological Society. The prize was originally called the Award for Extraordinary Scientific Achievement but was renamed after Rossby in 1963. Past recipients of this award include Rossby, Bjerknes, Charney, Lorenz, Junge, Arakawa, Twomey, Braham, Simpson, Lilly, Reed, Wallace, Solomon, Holton, Ramanathan, Houze, Emanuel, Hansen, Hartmann, Toon, and many other luminaries in our field. This award is well deserved and is a fitting reward for the outstanding research that Ed has conducted over the last (we won’t say how many) decades. The official presentation of the medal will be made during the 96th Annual Meeting of the American Meteorological Society which will be held in New Orleans from January 10 through 14, 2016.

Dr. John Horel wins the Francis W. Reichelderfer Award

This award is given in recognition of distinguished contributions to the provision of operational environmental services to the public. John wanted everyone to know that while nominally this award is attributed to an individual (in this case him), it is truly a reflection of the efforts of everyone involved with MesoWest - current and past. The award is a very public acknowledgement of the impact of what everyone affiliated with MesoWest has been doing for operational applications. The official presentation of the medal will be made during the 96th Annual Meeting of the American Meteorological Society which will be held in New Orleans from January 10 through 14, 2016.

Please join the Department of Atmospheric Sciences in congratulating Drs. Horel & Zipser on their achievements.

Two Faculty Win Awards from the American Meteorological Society

Endowments:• Hazen H. Bedke Quasi Endowment for

Student Support• Shih-Kung Kao Endowed Scholarship• Dell Vaughn & Harriet Rae McDonald

Atmospheric Sciences Awards Dinner Endowment Fund

• George & Christine Wilkerson Endowed Scholarship

• Edward J. Zipser Endowed Research Fund

Memorial Funds:• Dr. Norihiko Fukuta Endowed Memorial Fund• Kyle Tietze Memorial Travel Fund

Friends and AlumsGifts received Jan. - Nov. 2015

Alcorn, Brenda J.Alder, John E.Benton, Duane M.Beyuka, Ramona L. Boselly, S. EdwardBourgeous, Brent D.Brown, Francis HaroldBrown, Richard A.Byerle, Amy C.Cascade Refining, Inc.Cohen, Elisabeth A.Cran, BruceDicke, James L.Easton, Robert D.Exxonmobil Foundation

Foisy, Todd R.Fox, EricGiroux, Hans D.Griffin, Michael K.Hablutzel, Benjamin C.Hackbarth, DavidHanson, Robert C.Hart, Kenneth AlanHilland, C. RobertJoseph, Paul S.Kao, Yasuko W. Living TrustMcDonald, Dell V.McKay, Robert J.Middlestadt, Jon C.Okrasinski, Richard J.Pitts, AndrewPlews, David M.Sabol, Paul

Sands, GeneSassen, KennethShino, RussellSnyder, Andrew D. Staten, Paul WilliamSteenburgh, W. JamesTietze, Christopher C.Toronto, David SharpUnited Way of Salt LakeVan Cleave, Darren T.Vasquez, Hector R. Williams, Richard J. Zipser, Edward J.

The students, staff, and faculty of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences gratefully acknowledge the support of the following individuals. Large or small, your donations enhance the quality of our program and education of our students.

Donor RecognitionBy Department Chair, Dr. Kevin Perry

Dr. Kevin Perry’s Honors Praxis Lab on Air Quality, Health & Society earns UMA Environmental Health AwardBy Department Chair, Dr. Kevin Perry

The Honors College Praxis Lab was an innovative, project-based, year long class devoted to studying and making a difference on air quality issues facing the Wasatch Front. Since the Praxis Lab is about theory and action, we spent their first semester educating themselves on health, environmental, and economic impacts of air pollution. We invited medical doctors, air quality researchers, government officials, industry representatives, citizen activists, lawyers, and non-profit organizations to provide the students with a broad range of perspectives on local air quality issues. During the second semester, we focused on the action portion, coming up with multiple ideas, and trying to decide which ones were viable. From this we came up with two projects, a letter to give businesses a voice on air quality and an educational video in partnership with Breathe Utah.

Focusing on one project at a time, we decided a business letter would be our priority. We wanted to make sure businesses in Utah have their voice on air quality heard during the legislative session. We put together the letter as a class taking on different drafts in order to clearly state our message. This letter could be signed by any or all companies located in Utah. At the end of our year long adventure, more than 40 companies signed the letter that was delivered to Governor Gary Herbert on March 6, 2015. A public announcement of this clean air initiative was also made at the 20th Annual Stegner Center Symposium on Air Quality: Health, Energy, and Economics. Our plan is to keep collecting signatures from Utah businesses and deliver our message to the Governor each year prior to the beginning of the legislative session.

The Honors Praxis Lab students paired with talented whiteboard artist, Sarah Moyle, and Breathe Utah to create an educational video. The video can be viewed at: http://www.atmos.utah.edu/alumni/clean_air/health_effects_of_PM_video.php

The Praxis Lab received a lot of news coverage during the spring and was recently honored with the Utah Medical Association’s Environmental Health Award. The students received a commemorative plaque at the UMA House of Delegates meeting on September 19, 2015.

Student Highlights:MS Candidate Chris Foster sucessfully defended his thesis titled, “Simulation of a Cold-Air Pool in Utah’s Salt Lake Valley” on October 5, 2015. Chris will continue in our PhD program this spring.

PhD Candidate Sarah Bang and Professor Ed Zipser published a paper titled, “Differences in size spectra of electrified storms over land and ocean” in Geophysical Research Letters in August, 2015. To read the full article, go here: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2015GL065264/abstract

Department News: The Department’s classroom was remodeled this summer and debuted to students this fall. It was upgraded with new carpet, lighting, projection system, and tables with wheels to allow for multiple configurations. The photo below shows the new classroom.

The Department has many visiting scientists this year, including:

Working with Dr. Tim Garrett: • Byung-Gon Kim, Gangneung-Wonju National Univ.

Working with Dr. Zhaoxia Pu: • Feimin Zhang, Lanzhou University

Working with Dr. Jim Steenburgh: • Lisa Corsetti, Retired

Working with Dr. Dave Whiteman: • Dr. Biana Adler, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology • Iris Feigenwinter, University of Basel, Switzerland • Prof. Martina Grudzielanek, Ruhr Universität Bochum • Dr. Thomas Haiden, European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts • Prof. Norbert Kalthoff, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology • Dr. Meinolf Kossman, Deutsche Wetter Dienst • Dr. Ivana Stiperski, University of Innsbruck Austria

The Ute Weather Center, working side-by-side with Guest Services in the tower of Rice Eccles Stadium, began supporting Utah Football games on October 17th. Prior to the Arizona State game, a large area of rain and thunderstorms was approaching from the south. The team of experienced weather forecasters and observers (Karlie Rees and Spencer Fielding) relayed crucial weather information: rain onset, duration, and intensity. Two hours before the storm, the flawless forecast was relayed directly onto the field. This forecast, along with frequent weather updates, allowed coaches and other coordinators to know exactly what to expect with the storm.

During May of 2015, I started my Pathways Program internship at the National Weather Service Pueblo Forecasting Office. The Pueblo office is responsible for 21 counties in southeastern Colorado, including the major cities of Colorado Springs and Pueblo. During the first several weeks as an intern, I gained background knowledge of the forecast area, was introduced to shift work, and acquired a better understanding of how a NWS office operates. My training incorporated a variety of topics during the first few months including: observational tasks, aviation weather and operations, climate science, NOAA Weather Radio, severe weather, and basic radar fundamentals. I also learned how to operate an AWIPS station, the primary tool used by forecasters to analyze model output data. I completed a multitude of training modules on Comet’s MetEd website, in conjunction with hands on

Pathways to SuccessBy Alex Lukinbeal, BS Candidate in Atmospheric Sciences

Alex working in the NWS Office.

training from Meteorologists and HMTs (Meteorological Technicians).

My experience this summer included working both short-term and long-term forecasting shifts. Some work duties involved creating forecast grids for the National Weather Service’s National Digital Forecast Data Base. I obtained experience writing AFDs (Area Forecast Discussions), and TAFS (Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts) for Pueblo, Alamosa, and Colorado Springs airports. During my internship, I learned how to write a spot weather forecast for local events and activities requested by the public. I was also exposed to working HMT shifts. During HMT shifts, I helped produce morning and evening climate products, answered public phone calls, and created NWS weather story graphics. I became familiar with posting weather story graphics on social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter.

During my summer internship, I was able to go on multiple field trips throughout southeastern Colorado. One of my field trips included attending an El Paso County Emergency Management meeting in June. The meeting provided me with an understanding of how local NWS forecast offices help provide decision support to emergency managers in high impact weather situations. After the conclusion of the meeting,

Exploring Colorado’s natural beauty by climbing Quandry Peak.

I was able to tour the Waldo Canyon burn scar just west of Colorado Springs. The Pueblo office’s Service Hydrologist and Warning Coordination Meteorologist introduced me to various hydrological mitigation strategies designed to reduce future flooding of heavy rains over the burn scar. By shadowing HMTs while they fixed and deployed weather stations out in the field, I gained valuable experience with the NWS COOP program.

I will be returning to the NWS Pueblo WFO to continue my Pathways internship. During the upcoming summer, I hope to expand my researching experience by participating in a local research project. After completing the Pathways Program, my career goals include pursuing a forecasting career at the NWS, and to become an IMET (Incident Meteorologist) to help fight wildfires across the country.

Photo taken by the Ute Weather Center during October 17 football game.

Dr. Edward Zipser wins the 2016 Carl-Gustaf Rossby Research Medal

This prize is the highest award for atmospheric science awarded by the American Meteorological Society. The prize was originally called the Award for Extraordinary Scientific Achievement but was renamed after Rossby in 1963. Past recipients of this award include Rossby, Bjerknes, Charney, Lorenz, Junge, Arakawa, Twomey, Braham, Simpson, Lilly, Reed, Wallace, Solomon, Holton, Ramanathan, Houze, Emanuel, Hansen, Hartmann, Toon, and many other luminaries in our field. This award is well deserved and is a fitting reward for the outstanding research that Ed has conducted over the last (we won’t say how many) decades. The official presentation of the medal will be made during the 96th Annual Meeting of the American Meteorological Society which will be held in New Orleans from January 10 through 14, 2016.

Dr. John Horel wins the Francis W. Reichelderfer Award

This award is given in recognition of distinguished contributions to the provision of operational environmental services to the public. John wanted everyone to know that while nominally this award is attributed to an individual (in this case him), it is truly a reflection of the efforts of everyone involved with MesoWest - current and past. The award is a very public acknowledgement of the impact of what everyone affiliated with MesoWest has been doing for operational applications. The official presentation of the medal will be made during the 96th Annual Meeting of the American Meteorological Society which will be held in New Orleans from January 10 through 14, 2016.

Please join the Department of Atmospheric Sciences in congratulating Drs. Horel & Zipser on their achievements.

Two Faculty Win Awards from the American Meteorological Society

Endowments:• Hazen H. Bedke Quasi Endowment for

Student Support• Shih-Kung Kao Endowed Scholarship• Dell Vaughn & Harriet Rae McDonald

Atmospheric Sciences Awards Dinner Endowment Fund

• George & Christine Wilkerson Endowed Scholarship

• Edward J. Zipser Endowed Research Fund

Memorial Funds:• Dr. Norihiko Fukuta Endowed Memorial Fund• Kyle Tietze Memorial Travel Fund

Friends and AlumsGifts received Jan. - Nov. 2015

Alcorn, Brenda J.Alder, John E.Benton, Duane M.Beyuka, Ramona L. Boselly, S. EdwardBourgeous, Brent D.Brown, Francis HaroldBrown, Richard A.Byerle, Amy C.Cascade Refining, Inc.Cohen, Elisabeth A.Cran, BruceDicke, James L.Easton, Robert D.Exxonmobil Foundation

Foisy, Todd R.Fox, EricGiroux, Hans D.Griffin, Michael K.Hablutzel, Benjamin C.Hackbarth, DavidHanson, Robert C.Hart, Kenneth AlanHilland, C. RobertJoseph, Paul S.Kao, Yasuko W. Living TrustMcDonald, Dell V.McKay, Robert J.Middlestadt, Jon C.Okrasinski, Richard J.Pitts, AndrewPlews, David M.Sabol, Paul

Sands, GeneSassen, KennethShino, RussellSnyder, Andrew D. Staten, Paul WilliamSteenburgh, W. JamesTietze, Christopher C.Toronto, David SharpUnited Way of Salt LakeVan Cleave, Darren T.Vasquez, Hector R. Williams, Richard J. Zipser, Edward J.

The students, staff, and faculty of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences gratefully acknowledge the support of the following individuals. Large or small, your donations enhance the quality of our program and education of our students.

Donor RecognitionBy Department Chair, Dr. Kevin Perry

Dr. Kevin Perry’s Honors Praxis Lab on Air Quality, Health & Society earns UMA Environmental Health AwardBy Department Chair, Dr. Kevin Perry

The Honors College Praxis Lab was an innovative, project-based, year long class devoted to studying and making a difference on air quality issues facing the Wasatch Front. Since the Praxis Lab is about theory and action, we spent their first semester educating themselves on health, environmental, and economic impacts of air pollution. We invited medical doctors, air quality researchers, government officials, industry representatives, citizen activists, lawyers, and non-profit organizations to provide the students with a broad range of perspectives on local air quality issues. During the second semester, we focused on the action portion, coming up with multiple ideas, and trying to decide which ones were viable. From this we came up with two projects, a letter to give businesses a voice on air quality and an educational video in partnership with Breathe Utah.

Focusing on one project at a time, we decided a business letter would be our priority. We wanted to make sure businesses in Utah have their voice on air quality heard during the legislative session. We put together the letter as a class taking on different drafts in order to clearly state our message. This letter could be signed by any or all companies located in Utah. At the end of our year long adventure, more than 40 companies signed the letter that was delivered to Governor Gary Herbert on March 6, 2015. A public announcement of this clean air initiative was also made at the 20th Annual Stegner Center Symposium on Air Quality: Health, Energy, and Economics. Our plan is to keep collecting signatures from Utah businesses and deliver our message to the Governor each year prior to the beginning of the legislative session.

The Honors Praxis Lab students paired with talented whiteboard artist, Sarah Moyle, and Breathe Utah to create an educational video. The video can be viewed at: http://www.atmos.utah.edu/alumni/clean_air/health_effects_of_PM_video.php

The Praxis Lab received a lot of news coverage during the spring and was recently honored with the Utah Medical Association’s Environmental Health Award. The students received a commemorative plaque at the UMA House of Delegates meeting on September 19, 2015.

Student Highlights:MS Candidate Chris Foster sucessfully defended his thesis titled, “Simulation of a Cold-Air Pool in Utah’s Salt Lake Valley” on October 5, 2015. Chris will continue in our PhD program this spring.

PhD Candidate Sarah Bang and Professor Ed Zipser published a paper titled, “Differences in size spectra of electrified storms over land and ocean” in Geophysical Research Letters in August, 2015. To read the full article, go here: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2015GL065264/abstract

Department News: The Department’s classroom was remodeled this summer and debuted to students this fall. It was upgraded with new carpet, lighting, projection system, and tables with wheels to allow for multiple configurations. The photo below shows the new classroom.

The Department has many visiting scientists this year, including:

Working with Dr. Tim Garrett: • Byung-Gon Kim, Gangneung-Wonju National Univ.

Working with Dr. Zhaoxia Pu: • Feimin Zhang, Lanzhou University

Working with Dr. Jim Steenburgh: • Lisa Corsetti, Retired

Working with Dr. Dave Whiteman: • Dr. Biana Adler, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology • Iris Feigenwinter, University of Basel, Switzerland • Prof. Martina Grudzielanek, Ruhr Universität Bochum • Dr. Thomas Haiden, European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts • Prof. Norbert Kalthoff, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology • Dr. Meinolf Kossman, Deutsche Wetter Dienst • Dr. Ivana Stiperski, University of Innsbruck Austria

The Ute Weather Center, working side-by-side with Guest Services in the tower of Rice Eccles Stadium, began supporting Utah Football games on October 17th. Prior to the Arizona State game, a large area of rain and thunderstorms was approaching from the south. The team of experienced weather forecasters and observers (Karlie Rees and Spencer Fielding) relayed crucial weather information: rain onset, duration, and intensity. Two hours before the storm, the flawless forecast was relayed directly onto the field. This forecast, along with frequent weather updates, allowed coaches and other coordinators to know exactly what to expect with the storm.

During May of 2015, I started my Pathways Program internship at the National Weather Service Pueblo Forecasting Office. The Pueblo office is responsible for 21 counties in southeastern Colorado, including the major cities of Colorado Springs and Pueblo. During the first several weeks as an intern, I gained background knowledge of the forecast area, was introduced to shift work, and acquired a better understanding of how a NWS office operates. My training incorporated a variety of topics during the first few months including: observational tasks, aviation weather and operations, climate science, NOAA Weather Radio, severe weather, and basic radar fundamentals. I also learned how to operate an AWIPS station, the primary tool used by forecasters to analyze model output data. I completed a multitude of training modules on Comet’s MetEd website, in conjunction with hands on

Pathways to SuccessBy Alex Lukinbeal, BS Candidate in Atmospheric Sciences

Alex working in the NWS Office.

training from Meteorologists and HMTs (Meteorological Technicians).

My experience this summer included working both short-term and long-term forecasting shifts. Some work duties involved creating forecast grids for the National Weather Service’s National Digital Forecast Data Base. I obtained experience writing AFDs (Area Forecast Discussions), and TAFS (Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts) for Pueblo, Alamosa, and Colorado Springs airports. During my internship, I learned how to write a spot weather forecast for local events and activities requested by the public. I was also exposed to working HMT shifts. During HMT shifts, I helped produce morning and evening climate products, answered public phone calls, and created NWS weather story graphics. I became familiar with posting weather story graphics on social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter.

During my summer internship, I was able to go on multiple field trips throughout southeastern Colorado. One of my field trips included attending an El Paso County Emergency Management meeting in June. The meeting provided me with an understanding of how local NWS forecast offices help provide decision support to emergency managers in high impact weather situations. After the conclusion of the meeting,

Exploring Colorado’s natural beauty by climbing Quandry Peak.

I was able to tour the Waldo Canyon burn scar just west of Colorado Springs. The Pueblo office’s Service Hydrologist and Warning Coordination Meteorologist introduced me to various hydrological mitigation strategies designed to reduce future flooding of heavy rains over the burn scar. By shadowing HMTs while they fixed and deployed weather stations out in the field, I gained valuable experience with the NWS COOP program.

I will be returning to the NWS Pueblo WFO to continue my Pathways internship. During the upcoming summer, I hope to expand my researching experience by participating in a local research project. After completing the Pathways Program, my career goals include pursuing a forecasting career at the NWS, and to become an IMET (Incident Meteorologist) to help fight wildfires across the country.

Photo taken by the Ute Weather Center during October 17 football game.

on abstracts submitted to AMS. The level of participation by members of our Department in these two conferences is very impressive. The quality of the research being presented is even more so.

It is part of our Department philosophy that all students should be given the opportunity to attend at least one major scientific conference prior to graduation. Most of our graduate students attend multiple conferences during their academic career. Student participation is funded through a combination of research grants, matching money from The Graduate School and the Associated Students of the University of Utah, and from generous donations from friends and alumni. Please contact the Department if you are interested in sponsoring a student to participate in a conference.

Each year the Department selects an individual for our Distinguished Alumni Award (http://www.atmos.utah.edu/alumni/distinguished-alumni.php). The award recognizes outstanding contributions and service to the Atmospheric Sciences profession. We will begin reviewing nominations soon and could use your help in identifying suitable candidates. Please contact the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at [email protected] if you would like to nominate yourself or someone else for this award.

Chair’s MessageBy Department Chair, Dr. Kevin [email protected]

THEWASATCH

Wea

ther

vane

In this Issue: • Message from the Chair

• AMS Alumni Event

• Dean Search

• Two Faculty Win AMS Awards

• Dr. Perry’s Honors Praxis Lab on Air Quality, Health & Society wins Award

• Pathways to Success

• Ute Weather Center Football Game Forecasting

• Olympic Mountains Experiment

University of UtahDept. of Atmospheric Sciences135 S. 1460 E, Rm 819Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0110Phone: 801.581.6136Fax: 801.585.3681www.atmos.utah.edu

Professor Jay Mace tested out the Utah W-Band Radar at the Salt Flats in October. He aligned the Radar/platform underneath the CloudSat to calibrate the instrument against the satellite data.

Fall

2015

You’re invited! We are having an Alumni and Friends Reception at the American Meteorological Society’s (AMS) Annual Meeting in 2016! Please join us for light refreshments and catch up with some of your colleagues and fellow alums. The reception will be Tuesday, January 12 at 6:00pm.

Tis the season… for faculty recognition and dissemination of new knowledge. As the year comes to a close, I am pleased to report that two of our faculty members will be honored for their accomplishments at the upcoming American Meteorological

Society’s Annual Meeting (see inside for details). Public recognition for Dr. Edward Zipser and Dr. John Horel is both well-deserved and long overdue.

The faculty, staff, and students are busy making preparations for both the American Geophysical Union’s Fall Meeting in San Francisco (Dec) and the American Meteorological Society’s Annual Meeting in New Orleans (Jan). A total of 18 faculty, 4 postdocs, 4 staff, 12 Ph.D. students, 6 M.S. students, and 1 undergraduate student from our Department are presenters and/or coauthors on abstracts submitted to AGU. Likewise, a total of 13 faculty, 2 postocs, 5 staff, 4 Ph.D. students, 6 M.S. students, and 3 undergraduate students are presenters and/or coauthors

The Olympic Mountains Experiment (OLYMPEX) is one of the ground validation (GV) campaigns of the Global Precipitation Mission (GPM), a joint NASA project with JAXA (Japan). The primary objective of the experiment is to measure rain and snow especially in areas lacking ground-based radar observations. The Olympic Peninsula has been selected as a GV site because it provides an opportunity to make measurements from extensive surface-based and aircraft-based platforms, which can be used as surrogates for the GPM core satellite itself, thereby permitting useful data for validation of satellite algorithms even during stormy periods when there is no convenient satellite overpass.

The Olympic Mountains Experiment (OLYMPEX)

Dr. Edward Zipser will serve as one of the Flight Science Experiment Directors for OLYMPEX, while Dr. Jay Mace will serve as the Principle Investigator (PI) and one of the Flight Science Directors for the NASA ACE Radar Definition Experiment (RADEX). OLYMPEX will use the NASA DC-8 and the University of North Dakota Citation aircraft, while RADEX will use the NASA ER-2 aircraft. RADEX will field 4 Doppler Radars operating at various frequencies, advanced imagers that operate in the microwave, visible, and infrared frequencies, and a cloud

lidar. The purpose of RADEX is to collect a data set that exceeds the specifications of what we envision will be the next generation suite of cloud and precipitation remote sensing satellites of the coming decade. It so happens that collaborating closely with the NASA OLYMPEX campaign added value to both the RADEX remote sensing objectives and the larger science interests.

In practice, it is anticipated that all 3 aircraft will be closely coordinated in pursuit of common or highly complementary goals. Dr. Zipser & Dr. Mace will be assigned to specific shifts, probably of 8-12 hours each. They will be responsible for planning and executing flight missions, with highest priority given to the sampling of storm systems that bring rain and snow to the operations area, centered on the very rainy windward slope of the Olympic Mountains, where numerous radars, both fixed and mobile, and surface-based instrumentation are located. They will work together with the student forecasters (Trey Alvey, Sarah Bang, Leah Campbell, Ali Gingrey, and Peter Veals from the Department) to plan and set takeoff times, monitor progress of the flights, make adjustments to planned tracks as appropriate, and document the missions after landing for the project archives.

For more information about OLYMPEX, please see this site: http://olympex.atmos.washington.edu/index.html?x=Home

By Professors Ed Zipser & Jay Mace

Map of the Olympic Peninsula with the locations of the boundaries for the Olympic National Park, the US National Forests and Wilderness areas and the Quinault Reservation. (from OLYMPEX Ground Validation Experiment Field Operations Plan (Version 3))

Dean of the College of Mines & Earth SciencesThe University of Utah invites nominations and applications for the position of Dean of the College of Mines and Earth Sciences. The Dean will serve a five-year renewable term, ideally commencing July 1, 2016. The College is composed of four academic departments—Atmospheric Sciences, Geology and Geophysics, Metallurgical Engineering, and Mining Engineering. Current College of Mines & Earth Sciences Dean, Dr. Francis Brown, is retiring June 30, 2015 after 25 years of service to the college. For more information, please see the job announcement at https://utah.peopleadmin.com/postings/47027.

How to Contribute to the Department:Contribute in one of the following ways to help our students learn, our department grow, and our research expand. Contribute Time:Are you a researcher or professor or expert in Atmospheric Sciences or a related topic? We’d love to have you give a seminar in your area of expertise. Please email [email protected] if you’d like to sign up.

Are you an alumni whose company has job or internship opportunities for students from our department? Please let us know about these chances for our students to grow and learn from you. Please email [email protected] if you have an opportunity for our students. Contribute Experience:What has your career been like since you left our program? Would you be willing to share information about it with our students?

Could your company give our juniors or seniors a tour of resources or equipment used in Atmospheric Sciences or a related field?

Please email [email protected] if you have an opportunity or information to share with our students.

Contribute Financially:Financial donations allow our department to purchase new equipment, computers, and resources for our students. They also help fund our student-run Ute Weather Center and scholarships given to our undergraduates.

Donations may be made online here: https://umarket.utah.edu/ugive/index.php?gift_id=107. If you would like your donation to go to a specific departmental fund or endowment, please note this in the “Special Instructions” box. Thank you for your generosity and support.

If you would prefer to mail your donation to our office, please send a check payable to The Department of Atmospheric Sciences to:

Atmospheric SciencesUniversity of Utah135 S. 1460 E., Rm. 819Salt Lake City, UT 84112