Becoming an AMS Certified Consulting Meteorologist is no easy hurdle. It requires prior academic success, solid testing and proven usefulness in the field. The first, daunting task in passing the test is simply qualifying to take it. A Bachelor’s degree in Meteorology is required, including specific core weather classes, found on an official collegiate transcript
Read MoreForensic meteorologists work with attorneys on litigation issues when weather events have an impact on some of the Washington State environmental laws. In particular we are involved with issues in the construction industry, land use, and with stormwater issues. Attorneys often seek expert testimony from experts like a Certified Consulting Meteorologist regarding the weather at
Read MoreWeather Consultants use records from the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) database – upper-level atmospheric maps, radar, satellite, hourly and other historical data – to recreate historical weather events. Making that possible are resources provided by the National Weather Service, the Air Force, the FAA, the National Doppler Radar Network, etc. Global data from over
Read MoreEarthquakes: Seattle-Weather-Damages. Can the atmosphere trigger earthquakes? There are multiple kinds of forces derived from atmospheric changes but are they strong enough to influence the movements of the tectonic plates? Transitions between types of weather – rain, snow, hail, thunderstorms, tornadoes, etc. – have no known effect on earthquakes. Sometimes, however, the reason scientists aren’t
Read MoreEl Niño. Will Summer 2017’s El Niño intensify severe weather in the US? Perhaps, if and when it does arrive. The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) has been Neutral (within 0.5°C of the mean annual temperature) since January and will most likely stay the same through at least June. We’re in the spring ENSO predictability
Read MoreForensic Meteorology. Certified Consulting Meteorologist (CCM) brings weather to the courtroom. Earning the American Meteorological Society’s Certified Consulting Meteorologist certification opens the door for the world’s premier meteorologists to exercise their technical competence, professional character and field experience in weather-related legal cases. Only a couple hundred are present in the AMS’ directory. Less than eight
Read MoreAn often overlooked area for legal and civil actions is the role the forensic meteorologist plays in reviewing Historical Weather Data. Advice and historical references can play a large part in the reconstruction of conditions at specific times and places from the records available. Interpretation of these records can illuminate local weather conditions that may
Read MoreRogue Waves – also known as episodic, abnormal, extreme, freak, monster and killer waves – are more than twice the average height of the tallest third of a region’s waves. The threat, posed in oceans and large lakes, appears unexpectedly swiftly, can be responsible for thousands to millions in damages and claim dozens of lives.
Read MoreWater Scarcity in the West Coast of the US is a big issue. In the simplest terms, there’s not enough water to meet the demands of the population and economy of the west. The two sources of water, surface and ground, are interconnected in so many ways it takes a hydrologist to understand it and
Read MoreClimate change and global warming are used as interchange terms but they are not. Global warming is just one type of climate change. Climate and climate change is affected by everything from the amount of sunlight, cloud cover, atmospheric aerosols, volcanic activity and much more. Global Warming is just part of the climate that is
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