Three Weathermen and a VC

June is a hectic month. But it is also a winding down month. As I tie together the loose ends i also want to blog about some of the vc's I didn't get a chance to write about. One of these videoconferences took place on May 26th. The Friday before the Memorial Day weekend. I wrote in a previous blog about a videoconference with two meterorologists from the Eastern Region National Weather Service. I spoke about that being the first vc of hopefully a continuing collaboration. So, when our Region was planning a Math, Science and Technology Fair for 5th graders with an emphasis on careers I contacted my friends at the NWS. To my total delight the program they put together was three sessions each hosted by a different meteorologist. Each talked about what got them initially interested in meteorology as a child. What kind of courses they took and educational route they pursued. They also talked about different job opportunities they had along the way to their present work with the NWS. Richard Watling an Operations Improvement Hydrometeorologist and leader of weather verification gave the first vc. A hydrometeorologist is branch of meteorology that deals with problems involving the hydrologic cycle, the water budget, and the rainfall statistics of storms. In short, a RAIN MAN. Mr. Watling talked about his childhood and his interest in clouds and space. How that early interest led him to a long and fulfilling career in meteorology. Then he fielded questions from a very fascinated audience. He answered everyone except the one about Planet X. That was a stumper The second meteorologist was Jason Franklin a Mesoscale Meteorologist and leader of aviation weather. In short a PLANE MAN. He talked about the important work of keeping our planes safe in bad weather. Our last meteorologist was Joshua Watson a Techniques Development Meteorologist and leader of science training and forecasting techniques. In short a WEATHER MAN. He talked about the different ways weather is forcasted and the satellites that are out in space. Three groups of students met three different meteorologists. Maybe one day some of these students will become a meteorologists themselves. They won't have to worry about one thing. A meteorologist is never fired for a wrong forecast.

NOAA’s National Weather Service