Extended Abstract (668K)4.3
Weather from W.A.L.T.E.R.— An Interactive CD for Weather Educators
Patrick Heinis, Minnesota State University, Mankato, Mankato, MN; and J. Kerber and C. Keen
A challenge faced by educators in the field of meteorology is the availability of concurrent weather information covering local to synoptic conditions. Internet sources adequately cover the synoptic pattern but often times are too large to download in a short amount of time. The Weather Analysis Laboratory for Teaching and Education Resources (WALTER) at Minnesota State University, Mankato, has collated an all-inclusive and interactive CD-ROM (and Website) for educators. It delivers a teaching tool showing the birth, movement, and dissipation of a specific line of severe storms that passed through during the late afternoon of May 9, 2001. These severe storms, associated with a cold front, moved through the upper Midwest causing tornadoes and wind damage over a wide area of southern Minnesota. Bringing together state-of-the-science equipment including satellite, radar, model forecasts, re-analysis data, storm chase video and sky-cam video, a comprehensive picture was able to be created. The CD version of this provides educators with a comprehensive demonstration that greatly improves on the usual 2-dimensional graphics that are seen in most classroom situations.
Supplementary URL: http://www.mnsu.edu/weather
Session 4, University Outreach Activities
Tuesday, 15 January 2002, 10:30 AM-3:30 PM
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