In this issue

• ‘Tis the (Conference) Season

• FEATURE: Ten Years of 3D-PAWS

• New COMET MetEd Lessons

• COMET News

• COMET Staff Spotlight

• Community Events

• Contact Us

‘Tis the (Conference) Season

Welcome to our pre-conference newsletter! This is a special season for the weather, water, and climate community as we embark on two major conferences: American Geophysical Union 2024 (AGU) from December 9 – 13, 2024, and American Meteorological Society 2025 (AMS) from January 12 – 16, 2025.

Look out for these presentations and posters from our COMET team during these conferences:

AGU

Presentations

Evaluating Precipitation Estimates from a Low-Cost Surface Observation Network

Simulated Practice in Communicating Climate Outlook Information to Public Services Partner

Simulating the Complex Science Behind Environmental Hazards Like Post-wildfire Debris Flows

Utilizing Precipitation Datasets and Quantifying Associated Uncertainties in Hydrometeorological and Climate Impact Applications II 

Posters

Experiential Learning: Teaching Forecasters to Communicate Hurricane Impacts Through a Simulation

Use of Low-Cost Surface Observation Networks to Support Agriculture Decision Support Applications

Utilizing Precipitation Datasets and Quantifying Associated Uncertainties in Hydrometeorological and Climate Impact Applications 

AMS

Presentations

Experiential Learning: Teaching Forecasters to Communicate Hurricane Impacts Through a Simulation

A Demonstration of Low-Cost Observations in the Face of Adversity

Comparative Rainfall Analysis of 3D-Printed Automatic Weather Stations with Co-located Kenya Meteorological Department Stations 

Verification of Flash Flood Watches and Warnings Using 3D-Printed Automatic Weather Stations and Doppler Radar

Supporting User Readiness and Transition to New Environmental Satellite Capabilities: A Historical Perspective of COMET’s GOES-R and JPSS Education and Training Activities

Implementing Scenario-based COMET Training for Careers in the Weather, Water and Climate Industry in the Classroom

Posters

Increasing Student Understanding of Severe Storms in an Era of Climate Change: Online Interactives to Explore Observed and Projected Changes in Convective-Storm-Related Hazards

Comparative Analysis Between 3D-Printed Automatic Weather Stations and Co-located Kenya Meteorological Department Stations

Building An Open, Flexible, Online Radar Meteorology Course

Interactive In-Person Breakout Session

Hands-on Experiences – From Classroom to Cloud Base: The Basics to Kick Off Your Storm Chasing Journey 

COMET teams up with Girls Who Chase in this interactive in-person workshop for the Student Conference! Participants will learn how to get started with storm chasing, including the key items they’ll need to remain aware of to chase safely.

FEATURE: Ten Years of 3D-PAWS

Early warning of severe weather events saves lives. In many parts of the world, however, weather observation networks fall short of reaching every community. Expanding these networks to the extent necessary is often cost-prohibitive or challenging to maintain. Ten years ago, Paul Kucera and Martin Steinson— the COMET International Capacity Development Program Assistant Director and engineer, respectively—implemented the groundbreaking idea that . . . Read more.

New COMET MetEd Lessons

Here are the latest (free!) COMET MetEd lessons and resources from this quarter for your weather, water, and climate education & training needs.

• Satellite Applications for High-Latitude Maritime Wind Hazards

• Planning for Coastal Flooding with the NOAA Annual High Tide Flooding Outlook

• Effectively Communicating Aviation Forecasts

• Satellite Remote Sensing Capabilities for Ocean Color

• Aviation Hazards: Low-level Wind Shear & Low-level Turbulence

Sign up for your free COMET MetEd account for access to 1,085+ free weather, water, and climate lessons and educational resources. Happy learning!

COMET News

COMET Director Dr. Elizabeth (Liz) Mulvihill named American Meteorological Society (AMS) Fellow for 2025! We’re thrilled to share that Liz has been honored with this prestigious title! This recognition highlights Liz's exceptional contributions to the atmospheric and related oceanic or hydrologic sciences over many years. As an AMS Fellow, Liz joins an esteemed group of professionals who embody the values of the American Meteorological Society and serve as exemplary role models within the field. Liz will be formally celebrated at the 105th AMS Annual Meeting in New Orleans this January, where we look forward to joining her in acknowledging this remarkable achievement. Congratulations, Liz, on this well-deserved honor!

COMET Translator David Russi received the 2024 UCAR Excellence Award in Education & Outreach! We’re proud to announce David Russi, COMET translator for over 18 years, received this award for his contributions to fostering understanding of and engagement with scientific concepts and issues for current and new generations of scientists. David’s notable contributions to science education include creating the only English-Spanish glossary for meteorology terms currently in existence (with approximately 13,000 terms!), leading the translation more than 400 MetEd educational resources, and developing the COMET Translation Resource Center website for the World Meteorological Organization. Please join us in congratulating David for the recognition of his incredible contributions to Earth Systems Science education!

COMET leads 3D-PAWS training workshop in Argentina. COMET led a 3D-PAWS training workshop for the National Meteorological Service in Argentina in October. 3D-PAWS will soon be deployed across the country to strengthen its weather observation network.

COMET welcomes the Korean Meteorological Administration (KMA) to Boulder, CO. COMET scientists and instructors led the annual Train-the-Trainer KMA course in Boulder, CO, this October. Participants learned a variety of different topics covering satellite analysis, numerical weather prediction, and frozen precipitation type forecasting—just to name a few. We also featured special guest instructors from across the weather, water, and climate enterprise.

COMET collaborates on a new NCAR Mesa Lab exhibit. UCAR SciEd celebrated the official opening of a new hands-on Mesa Lab exhibit, Winds Through Time! COMET Scientist Amy Stevermer collaborated on this exhibit with a team of experts across NCAR and UCAR. Learn more here.

Kwabena (Kwa) Denkyi joins COMET. Kwa joined our team to support the Climate Prediction Center as a Project Manager, located at the NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction in College Park, Maryland. Kwa is a seasoned Project Manager with over 14 years of experience in leading large and complex international development projects across multiple phases for various stakeholders, including public and private sector institutions. He excels in utilizing effective project management frameworks to ensure success. Kwa holds a Master’s degree in Development Management with a focus on Project Management and Evaluation, along with certifications such as Project Management Professional (PMP) and Evaluation certifications from the University of East Anglia in the UK.

COMET Staff Spotlight

Tsvet Ross-Lazarov: COMET Educational Designer

Meet Tsvet Ross-Lazarov, one of COMET’s amazing Educational Designers. Tsvet is our resident Artificial Intelligence and educational simulations expert and often leads the way in innovative education and training approaches backed by the latest science. Learn more about him in this fun Q&A!

Community Events

Topics Announcement for Girls Who Chase 2025 Spring Training

Topics for the Girls Who Chase 2025 Spring Training event are here! COMET scientists, educational designers, and staff are supporting the GWC Spring Training event for the third year in a row. This event is sponsored by the American Meteorological Society (AMS) and provides an educational and fun experience for storm-lovers and chasers at all levels. Learn more here. Topics will be denoted by expertise level (from beginner to expert) to help you plan your day.

Contact Us

Do you have any questions or feedback for the newsletter? Reach out to [email protected]. For questions or comments regarding the COMET Program or MetEd please contact [email protected].