Les Lemon Passed Away

[JamesCaruso]

Just happened upon this sad news today, although it happened over a month ago. Didn’t see anything on ST about it, sorry if I missed it, but figured I would post. Les Lemon was a legendary pioneer in severe storms research, part of the “old guard,” and his research papers remain foundational sources to this day. Nice tribute here by another legend, Dr. Chuck Doswell.

Leslie R. Lemon - friend and colleague - has died

Les giving a presentation in 2009. I first met Les Lemon (as I recall) when I began working part-time at the National Severe Storms La...

cadiiitalk.blogspot.com

 

[Warren Faidley]

Sorry to hear this. I recall his name in various storm-related publications.

 

[Jeff Duda]

I saw the announcement on Twitter from someone. There wasn't much fanfare over it. I don't think Les Lemon was very connected with the meteorology community outside of the aged academic/research region. I personally never met him formally, and I don't think I ever saw him or interacted with him outside of one possibility: my Masters advisor thinks he was a reviewer on my first published paper (from 2010).

No doubt his contributions to operational and severe storms analysis have been invaluable to the larger community. He left an academic/intellectual legacy, which is exactly what leads to long-term increases in human knowledge and the overall furtherance of science. For that we should all be grateful of his presence in the human pipeline. On a personal basis, however, there seemed to be a generational gap between him and the younger folks (like me) that may have led to a diminutive show of emotional output over his passing.

Still, I salute this hero of meteorology. As the saying goes...we only see further into the future by standing on the shoulders of the giants that came before us. As he was a giant from the previous generation, someday we will be, too.

R.I.P., Les.