from Shade Tree Meteorology
If you follow us on Facebook or LinkedIn, you might have noticed that we shared a selfie last week with the caption #SafePlaceSelfie. We hope that if you follow us on those social media platforms, you caught the message and that this will serve as a great recap for you. However, if you aren’t on social media very often and missed it, this post is especially for you!
I have to admit, I had never heard of ‘The Great London Smog’ event until I watched The Crown on Netflix, and an entire episode was dedicated to this event (It’s Season 1, Episode 4, if anyone is interested). The episode was well-done, and dove into some of the politics surrounding the event and also told some harrowing personal stories. As a meteorologist and a reader of history, I was interested to learn more about how this event unfolded.
…or maybe like an egg you grab on an egg hunt; you never know what you’re going to get! This partially has to do with the date which Easter falls, which can range from March 22 through April 25, which makes the climatology of the holiday a bit different than holidays with fixed dates. However, the fact that these “shoulder” months are prime for a multitude of different weather types also increases the uncertainty of the weather.
Today’s blog post features a great opportunity for students from middle-school through early college!
I found myself browing through interesting satellite imagery while brainstorming ideas for this blog post, and I came across an opportunity which parents and teachers may want to share with their children/students. I think we can all concur that learning this school year has been anything but normal, and with that has come positive and negative outcomes. One of the positive results of so much virtual time is the number of online opportunities which students from all across the country can take part in- something that may not have been possible only a year ago. Today I would like to share with you one of those: a virtual science fair.
During women’s history month, it is a great time to reflect back and think about the many people who have influenced me and shaped my path over the years. One of those individuals is Dr. Daphne LaDue, so I was thrilled to see that she was a recipient of this year’s American Meteorological Society Robert H. and Joanne Simpson Mentorship Award. Daphne is a Senior Research Scientist at the University of Oklahoma (OU)and the Director of the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program at OU. Daphne’s investment in young scientists through the REU program has provided the opportunity for so many students to learn alongside scientists, and I am sure I am one of so many who can say that the REU experience was one of the formative experiences of my college years. I hope you enjoy learning about Daphne as much as I enjoyed catching up with her prior to writing this blog!
After months of cold temperatures and nearly (over?) a year of cancelled trips and vacations, many are itching to plan their summer getaways as hours of daylight grow longer, vaccine distributions increase, and restrictions are lifted. If your plans include a trip to the beach, it’s important to remember safety – and not just sun block!
Throughout the course of my education and career, I have heard Joanne Simpson’s name and knew she was a very well respected and highly esteemed atmospheric scientist. In fact, the American Meteorological Society named an award after her for researchers who make outstanding contributions to advancing the understanding of the physics and dynamics of the tropical atmosphere. She has been described by those who knew her as “an animated speaker with sharp eyes and a crackling voice…the type of person who has simply been too busy to worry about growing old.” As I learned more about her, I found myself wishing for a time machine so that I could go back in time and talk with her!
I like to think I inherited my love of gardening from my grandmother, who had the most beautiful vegetable garden. I always loved talking with her about our gardens, and whenever I would visit she always had a clipping of a plant or fresh vegetables for me to take home.
It is around this time each year that I start thinking and planning for my garden. The days are getting lighter and brighter each day, and I am all but over the cold weather and snow. I enjoy getting out in my garden so much. I like watching how things change from year to year and reviewing my journals from years past to how various seeds and plants I’ve tried, have worked out. The fun thing about gardening is that there is always some element of surprise…both good and bad. I recently read The Weather Detective, and this book is a must-read for any gardener, no matter your level of expertise.
The past week has brought extreme winter weather across the United States, from the West Coast to the East. Though all eyes have seemingly been on Texas (and for good reason, we will focus on the Lonestar State later in this blog), we also want to highlight some of the other regions of the country that have been struggling through the cold, wintry not-so-wonderland weather this week.
I was honored to have an opportunity recently to speak with Janice Huff, chief meteorologist for NBC4 New York. Janice graduated from Florida State University with her bachelor’s degree in meteorology, and from there entered a career in broadcast meteorology. She has been with NBC New York for more than 25 years, and was inducted as a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society in 2020.
While an impressive career and honors by peers and colleagues certainly sets Janice apart, what really drew me to her was her passion- passion for science, passion for her community, and passion for reaching the next generation of scientists.
