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Purpose

The purpose of the Atmospheric Science Club is two fold. It is used firstly as a means of supporting and enhancing the students interests in the Atmospheric Sciences.  Secondly, it is a resource for promoting the Atmospheric Science Department at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Membership Requirements

1. Interested members must be UWM students, faculty, staff, or alumni of the club.
2. You do not have to be an Atmospheric Science major or minor to be part of the club.  However, you must have an interest in the weather.
3. All members pay yearly dues in the amount of $10.

Joining the club

If you are interested in joining the club, please fill out and print an application here.  Applications may be turned in to any club officer or the club mailbox.  The club mailbox is to the left and around the corner from the Math Department main office (EMS E403).

Meetings

Meetings are intended to inform members of upcoming activities.  Members can also bring up ideas for new activities.  The club usually meets once a month on a day and time convenient for the majority of the members.  E-mail is sent to all members prior to the meeting and a summary of discussion is sent out immediately after.   Please click here to find out when the next meeting is and where you can find information about other upcoming events.

Email Reflector

The club uses an email reflector to quickly send information to club members.  The reflector may be used only for official club business or interesting weather-related information.  All club members are added to the reflector when they join.  To prevent spam, only members of the club are provided with the email address of the reflector.

If you are a member of the club reflector and wish to be removed, please contact one of the club officers. 

Fundraisers

To be able to fund popular activities such as the storm chase and conference trips, fundraisers are absolutely necessary.  The club typically has five or six brat sales each year (up to three each semester).  Members MUST participate in at least three brat sales to be eligible for the storm chase.  Similar requirements are also in place for the annual AMS meeting.

We also sell soda in the Math Department lounge (EMS E495A).  Cans of Pepsi products are available for 50 cents each.  Please stop by if you need any refreshments.

Major Activities

• Annual Club Storm Chase

  • Each year after Spring finals, groups of Atmo Club members travel around the country to forecast and seek out severe weather.  Other students remain available on- or off-campus to relay information and suggestions.

  • The club provides transportation and funding for gas and hotels, while individuals are responsible for food and other expenses.

  • Fifteen people went on the 2006 chase in three groups, and two of those groups successfully saw tornadoes!

  • The club has access to Mobile Threat Net, a device which can obtain critical weather and radar data through a satellite data feed.  This data allows the students to make quick decisions in order to stay safe.

  • Our Storm Chase Page has pictures and details of past chases, as well as tips if you want to go on your own storm chase.

   

• Individual Storm Chases

  • Outside of the official club storm chase, individual groups may wish to chase storms locally or out-of-state.

  • The club does not provide funding for unofficial chases.

  • Groups can check-out the Mobile Threat Net equipment for limited periods of time, except for when the official club chase is scheduled.

  • Individuals should not go storm chasing alone or without an experienced chaser.

  • Individual groups chase storms at their own risk!

• Weather Challenge

  • The University of Oklahoma provides a national competition for students to hone their forecasting skills.  Ten locations are selected around the country, with the cities widely varying in climate conditions and locations.  For each forecast site, students will provide four forecasts a week for two weeks.  Forecasts involve predicting high and low temperatures, peak wind speed, and 24-hour accumulated precipitation.

  • Students will be given penalty points for deviation from the actual conditions.  The fewer penalty points, the better the overall forecast.

  • For more information, please visit www.wxchallenge.com.

  • The deadline for participation is September 14, 2007!

   

• Weather Briefings

  • Interested students may meet to discuss interesting weather events.  These briefings are typically informal, and are often related to current classwork.  Participants in the Weather Challenge may also have briefings to discuss their forecasts.

• Panthervision

  • The UWM Journalism department produces a weekly news program that is broadcast on local cable and PBS stations, as well as on televisions on Milwaukee Transit buses.  Interested participants will write their own forecast, and then present the forecast on camera.

  • Participants will need to travel to the Milwaukee School of Engineering downtown campus for tapings.

   

• AMS Annual Meeting

  • Each year, a small group of students is selected to attend the national meeting of the American Meteorological Society.  The meeting provides a forum for presenting talks on recent research, new discoveries and general meteorological knowledge.

  • Individual conferences are held during the Annual Meeting, covering a wide variety of topics and interests.  The topics may vary from year to year.

  • Students can research career options, job opportunities, and network with scientists from all over the world.

  • The next annual meeting will be held in New Orleans, LA on 14-18 January 2008.

  • For more information, go to www.ametsoc.org/meet/annual/.

   

• Conferences

  • Besides the AMS annual meeting, club members may wish to attend a number of other smaller conferences.  These conferences typically have a specific theme, and attract scientists and students with that particular interest.

  • The club has recently attended a number of meetings, including:

    • March 2007: National Bow Echo Workshop, Louisville, KY

    • October 2005: Midwest Extreme & Hazardous Weather Conference, Champaign, IL

    • Annually in April: Tom Skilling's Tornado & Severe Weather Seminar, Batavia, IL (sponsered by Fermilab / WGN-TV)

     

  • The next upcoming conference will be the Great Lakes Operational Meteorology Workshop, held at UWM's School of Continuing Education on 05-07 September 2007.  This conference is co-presented by the National Weather Service offices in Milwaukee/Sullivan and Green Bay.  Unfortunately, the registration deadline has already passed.

  • If anyone knows of any interesting conferences, please announce them via the Atmo Club's email reflector.

   

• Seminars

  • Professors may invite scientists to provide seminars at UWM.  These talks are announced through the club's email reflector.

  • The Milwaukee Chapter of the American Meteorological Society also holds talks and seminars during the academic year.

   

• Intramural Sports

  • In the past, club members have participated in softball and volleyball leagues through UWM Intramural Athletics.

  • If you are interested in forming a team, please speak up at a club meeting.

   

•  Brewer Game Tailgates

  • The club usually organizes an annual Brewer's baseball tailgate early in May.  Club members, professors, alumni, and significant others are all invited.

   

• Other activities

  • We are always looking for new weather-related and other activities.  If you have ideas, please present them at club meetings, or email the club reflector.

   

Bulletin Board

A bulletin board is available to club members outside the Atmo Lab (EMS E434).  Club events are announced here, along with data from significant weather events.  The Atmo Club also subscribes to a newsletter detailing jobs for graduates of our program.

Tutoring

Members are often available for tutoring students in the Intro to Meteorology course (AtmSci 100).  Members also meet to discuss other classes, including Math courses and upper-level AtmSci courses.

Technology

The UWM Math Department continues to update our technology as new equipment and funds become available.  Please visit our Technology page to explore our Atmo Lab, and observe the equipment our students use in their classes and research.

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