Opportunities like this are important to him. “It’s a fun thing that I miss getting to do this year,” says Troutman, who was grateful technology still allowed him to participate virtually. Held in May 2020, this event reached hundreds of students in Fremont County. Troutman paired hands-on weather science demonstrations with hazard safety tips at the virtual 2020 Wyoming Outdoor Weekend and Education Expo. To help spread the word, Troutman assumed the persona of “Professor Weather,” which was created by the now-retired southern region NWS meteorologist, Dennis Cain. With indoor activities on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an even greater emphasis on outdoor weather safety this year. There’s a big focus on outdoor recreation in the state, he explains, which means it’s important that residents know how to stay safe from weather hazards. “In Wyoming, we’re so wide open,” says Tim Troutman, Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the Weather Forecast Office in Riverton. “Professor Weather” attends the virtual Wyoming Outdoor Weekend We learn just as much from the students as they learn from us.” “The students really help us stay up to date with that type of innovation. “University meteorology programs are always changing, and sometimes there's a delay between when new advancements in technology and science are taught in the classroom and when they are implemented in the field office,” says Hart. But the students aren’t the only ones who benefit. In just the last few years, five students who volunteered with the Charleston office have since been hired by the National Weather Service. Students learn operational forecasting, participate in storm surveys after severe weather events, and try out non-meteorology roles alongside experts like electronics technicians. Each summer, they select two or three students, usually college juniors, seniors, or graduate students, to join the office for a summer. “It has been very successful,” says Robert Hart, Lead Forecaster with WFO Charleston. Located in the heart of Appalachia, the Weather Forecast Office in Charleston, West Virginia, has been hosting student volunteers for about a decade. Student volunteers get hands-on weather forecasting training in West Virginia I push them to try to be ambassadors to push that information forward,” says Wielgos. From farmers who want to learn about winter weather, to weather enthusiasts and emergency managers, WFO Paducah encouraged everyone who attended the mini courses to take part in building a Weather-Ready Nation. More than 500 people attended several of the courses, hailing from all over - including from other countries. These courses were a hit! “It was amazing to me how far-reaching the mini courses were,” says Wielgos. “How else could we get out there and perform our mission?” Wielgos and others at WFO Paducah decided to offer “mini courses.” These two-hour virtual experiences allowed them to go into just enough detail on topics such as winter safety, extreme tornado risk, and using weather radar apps. But after the pandemic started, “I just felt lost,” she says. ![]() In that time, she has done plenty of outreach. ![]() “Mini courses” engage weather enthusiasts in Kentucky and beyondĬhristine Wielgos, Lead Forecaster with the Weather Forecast Office in Paducah, Kentucky, has been with the National Weather Service for 20 years. Now you have more knowledge about it than they do.” “I always tell them, you need to go home and educate your parents. “Kids are an important conduit for safety information,” Martin adds. During a SKYWARN Storm Spotter Program, Martin explains, “I was talking about blizzards, and someone from Puerto Rico raised his hand and asked, ‘What's a blizzard?’ I realized … of course! People are coming from areas where they’ve never seen a snowflake.” Like other forecast offices, WFO Bismarck relies on personal relationships within the community to get the word out about weather, partnering with groups ranging from service organizations and immigration support to scout groups and schools. ![]() Starting in 2006 when an oil boom created tens of thousands of jobs in North Dakota’s oil fields, people from all over moved to the state. “How many places can say that?” asks Martin. The year 2019, for example, was both the wettest year on record and also a significant drought for parts of the state. The record low is -60° F while the record high is 121° F. “North Dakota is a land of extremes,” says John Paul “JP” Martin, Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Bismarck.
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