The opening address from North Platte, Nebraska, mayor, G. Keith Richards, set a fitting tone of hospitality, anticipation, and pioneering spirit that lasted through the Ninth Annual High Plains Conference.  Hosted by the High Plains Chapter of the National Weather Association and American Meteorological Society, the conference welcomed 49 attendees from seven states, many of whom presented during the three day event.  As people filed into the halls of the North Platte Community College North Campus, meteorologists from the television media, private companies, universities, research laboratories, the United States Air Force, and the National Weather Service were all represented.

Tom Wachs, former chief meteorologist at KNOP-TV in North Platte, returned all the way from his new home in Johnston City, Tennessee, to host Session I of the conference.  He introduced first time keynote speaker, Matthew Bunkers of the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Rapid City, South Dakota.  Mr. Bunkers’ presentation on supercell longevity included an interactive forecasting exercise and contest, the winner receiving a Sturgis, South Dakota rally T-shirt!  A series of thunderstorm- and tornado-related presentations was rounded out by a look at the different versions of the high resolution Weather and Forecasting Model coming into operations.  Many people stayed for the regular meeting of the High Plains Chapter before hitting the town for dinner and entertainment.

The second day of the conference started with the sun rising over the Platte River Valley, a crisp chill in the air.  Session II chair, Rick Ewald of the National Weather Service in Hastings, Nebraska, introduced keynote speaker, Dr. Ken Dewey.  In his very down to earth and personable style, Dr. Dewey stepped through a pictorial and video history of his and others’ involvement in the 22 May 2004, eastern Nebraska tornado outbreak, from storm chasing to damage surveys and emergency management.  Then following a break and snacks provided by the conference committee, everyone returned to their seats for a series of student presentations which included a tornado case study, a climatology of cold fronts in the Great Lakes, and an application of climate variability to cold season energy budgeting.  The session wrapped up with Marc Russell’s exploration of radar signatures in an outbreak of low-topped mini-supercells with tornadoes.  Everyone was then invited to the La Quinta hotel just down the road from the college where lunch was served up in the form of sub sandwiches, again compliments of the conference committee in North Platte. 

The day continued sunny and temperatures warmed leading into the afternoon and Session III.  Chapter President, Patrick Burke of the National Weather Service in Goodland, Kansas, led off by announcing the third keynote speaker of the conference, Dr. Erik Rasmussen.  What ensued was a candid, in-depth explanation of Dr. Rasmussen’s observations, analyses, and hypotheses related to supercell tornadogenesis.  It was especially enlightening to learn how each idea or observation has led to the next round of questions in our endeavors to understand tornadogenesis.  The afternoon featured many more discussions of thunderstorm and tornado forecasting techniques, as well as a look at a potential signal for the convective enhancement to snowfall events seen in the K index.

After a short break, the group reconvened for the conference banquet, yet another opportunity to mingle, network, and converse.  It was then off to the South Campus only a few blocks away for the evening panel discussion.  This event which was open to the public featured an exchange of ideas between the National Weather Service, television and radio on-air personalities, and a local emergency manager regarding severe weather operations.  The question and answer session generated some excellent discussion.  Media hoped to see more meteorological explanation from the National Weather Service during ongoing severe weather, such as updates to the hazardous weather outlook or area forecast discussion.  Many in the audience wanted to see an update to the minimum severe hail size based on its potential to do damage.  Despite the Great Plains reputation as tornado alley, however, there was a consensus from the High Plains residents in attendance that crippling winter storms are their greatest weather concern.  Overall, the event was a great success.

A nearly full crowd returned to the North Campus Friday morning.  En route to the campus in the chilly thirty-degree weather, some were treated to a glorious steam fog rising off the Platte River and spilling over the bridge on highway 83.  Session IV Chair, Jon Davies, a severe storms researcher and private meteorologist from Wichita, Kansas, got the proceedings rolling.  Then the fourth and final keynote speaker, Dr. Jerry Brotzge of the Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms at the University of Oklahoma, took the floor.  Dr. Brotzge reported on a truly groundbreaking project, the Center for Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere (CASA).  This Engineering Research Center created by the National Science Foundation is the first of its kind in the meteorology field.  Operated in collaboration through several Universities and the Private Sector, the goal is to develop a network of low-cost, low-power radars fitted to cellular phone towers which would compliment existing radar networks by targeting the lower atmosphere wherever and whenever the user needs are the greatest.

Following Dr. Brotzge, scholarships were awarded to all three student presenters.  Brian Smoliak, a SCEP student at the National Weather Service in Chanhassen, Minnesota, and Omaha, Nebraska, took home a first place certificate and a $500 scholarship.  A number of quality presentations continued, even as the conference was drawing to an end, with studies of both summer and winter heat waves on the high plains and analysis of a large dataset of RUC model soundings related to severe thunderstorms.  Finally, in a fitting conclusion, Brian Hirsch, meteorologist-in-charge at the National Weather Service in North Platte, offered his insight on severe weather warnings during high impact events before inviting everyone out to tour the local National Weather Service Office.  Chapter President, Patrick Burke, provided closing remarks, wishing everyone well as they left the conference reenergized and inspired to further their knowledge of high plains weather.  Many thanks are in order for the hard work of the conference planning committee at the National Weather Service Forecast Office in North Platte.  The tenth annual high plains conference will be held in Dodge City, Kansas, from October 4 - 6, 2006.