In this presentation from the 2022 AMS Weather Band Community and Citizen Science Symposium, Ted Best illustrates through case examples how the use of citizen weather observations can elucidate mesoscale convective events. A convective wind event, a long-lived thunderstorm with hail, and a mesoscale convective system with heavy rain show how individual observations can be collected to form a more detailed picture of an event for study. A combination of storm spotting, storm reports, CoCoRaHS observations, and radar images is presented for each case. These observations can call attention to events that might otherwise be missed in a busy and complex environment and can be helpful for improving future forecasts.
Ted has a lifelong interest in weather, especially severe local storms and mesoscale convective systems. He served as a Skywarn volunteer coordinator in north Texas for 6 years and as a CoCoRaHS volunteer observer for the past 14 years in 3 different states. During his time as a Skywarn volunteer in north Texas, he worked with meteorologists from the National Weather Service office and co-authored two case studies about convective wind events that were published in online journals. He was also a member of the AMS local chapter in north Texas and has been an associate member of the AMS since 2002.
Ted holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of Illinois and has worked as a chemist in the paint and coatings industry where he is currently a Research Fellow. His career interests include atmospheric corrosion and the development of corrosion resistant coatings.