I’m in Norman for a few days to partake in the National Press Foundation’s “Understanding Violent Weather” conference. I’m among 19 media professionals who have converged on Norman from both coasts – and just up I-35.
Today’s topics include basic meteorology, fundamentals of forecasting, lightning, hurricanes and tornadoes. Among the presenters are Greg Carbin, warning coordination meteorologist for the Storm Prediction Center, and Harold Brooks, research meteorologist for the National Severe Storms Laboratory. I’ve interviewed each of them more than once, and met Harold when he made a presentation to the local chapter of the American Meteorological Society a few years ago…so I’m looking forward to their portions of the agenda.
It’s probably a good thing that the forecast for much of this week in the heartland is for calm weather, because I can tell several of the attendees would love to chase tornadoes while they’re here. They don’t get that opportunity much in Spokane, Portland, Yuma or New York.