April 14, 2012

Our keynote speaker will be Mr. Greg Carbin, the Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) in Norman, Oklahoma.  Since 1996, Greg has worked as a severe weather outlook forecaster, fire weather forecaster, mesoscale meteorologist and lead forecaster at the SPC.  He is the SPC's spokesperson and subject matter expert on thunderstorm forecasting, the climatology of severe local storms, and tornadoes. In his role he also develops and conducts a wide array of informative and educational presentations.  Prior to starting his career with the National Weather Service in Charlotte, NC in 1993, Greg was a private sector meteorologist in New York and Vermont. He earned his B.S. degree in Meteorology from Lyndon State College in 1985. Greg has served as chair, or co-chair, on the National Severe Weather Workshop Planning Committee since 2007 and has presented his “Year-in-Review” presentation to the NWA Annual Meeting every year since 2004.

Greg is an incredible speaker with great insight to severe storms climatology and forecasting.  Following the horrifically destructive year of 2011 where an estimated 552 people lost their lives in the United States (compared to 564 US deaths in the prior ten years combined), it continues to show the power of nature and the need for the value that spotters continue to add to the warning process.

The Skywarn Workshop will be held April 14th at the Minneapolis Campus of the University of St. Thomas, the same location as 2011 making it easy for everyone to attend!