September 2017 NWA Newsletter
The 19th Annual High Plains Conference
Wesley Hovorka
Secretary
The High Plains Chapter (http://www.highplains-amsnwa.org/conferences/2017/) of the American Meteorological Society and National Weather Association held its 19th High Plains Conference on Meteorology and Climatology in Dodge City, Kansas, on August 9 and 10. The NWS office in Dodge City hosted the two-day conference, which was organized by the Science Operations Officer Arron Johnson, meteorologist Wesley Hovorka, and meteorologist Laren Reynolds. There were 36 attendees representing 10 NWS offices, two students, and two from the private sector. Central Region Director Chris Strager kicked off the keynote talks, followed by Karen Kosiba from the Center for Severe Weather Research, Dr. Grady Dixon from Fort Hays State University, Dr. Chris Karstens from the Storm Prediction Center, and Dr. Mike Coniglio from OAR/NSSL. There were also 20 presentations by other attendees during the conference, representing topics as diverse as the High Plains weather. The agenda and links to the presentations will be available on the chapter website soon.
The High Plains Chapter is supported by the NWS offices of North Platte and Hastings, Nebraska, and Goodland and Dodge City, Kansas; the local media, and private industry. The chapter prides itself on providing a venue for high quality meteorological and climatological presentations by those in the forecasting and research communities. It also provides a relaxed atmosphere for first-time presenters to develop into seasoned speakers, while bringing invaluable information on High Plains forecasting for the attendees. The 20th High Plains Conference will be held in Hastings, Nebraska, in 2018.
High Plains Conference attendees.
The High Plains AMS/NWA Chapter Minutes
Jeremy Martin, President
Wesley Hovorka, Secretary
The High Plains AMS/NWA Chapter held a face-to-face meeting after the conclusion of the High Plains Conference on Thursday, August 10, beginning around noon. There were 20 chapter members at the meeting. The first item discussed was an update on expenses for the conference. The rental for the Little Theater in the Dodge City Community College and Banquet facility was already paid, but the banquet meal and other incidentals still needed to be paid. The NOAA/NWS keynote speakers also needed to be paid for their conference expenses. The chapter then talked about the 20th High Plains Conference in Hastings, Nebraska. A weather simulation or workshop were mentioned as a possible activities, as well as using more social media at the conference. The chapter remains in contact with Northern Plains Chapter who is interested in co-sponsoring the next High Plains Conference. More about the 20th conference will be discussed during the next chapter meeting. The Jim Johnson scholarship was the final discussion item. Since the funds for the scholarship remain high, the chapter discussed increasing the amount given or awarding multiple applicants among several options. The scholarship winner for 2017 has been selected and more information will be presented shortly. The meeting came to a close around 12:15 p.m. The next High Plains Chapter meeting is expected to be a face-to-face meeting at Norton in October.