Severe weather researching careers

[DHobbs]

Hello! I am new to this site and I am interested in doing severe weather research either on my own or with someone else. I have years of experience with storms and know both the basic and advanced spotters guides. I will need to get a grant if I have to get my own equipment so if someone knows anything about that I would appreciate it. If I go with somebody, I can help with equipment, transcribing notes, or anything that will be of assistance. I want to learn more about severe weather and help improve warning times.

 

[Lanny Dean]

Let me be blunt here....If you are really interested in a real career in severe weather researching your best and only bet is to go to college, get a degree and then see where that goes. No entity or university has or will have any interest or desire to promote or "use" individuals wihtout some kind of formal education.

You really need education and a relationship with an entity such a college or university.

 

[Jason Boggs]

What Lanny said. Get in a good college and then go from there.

 

[Wes Carter]

Hello! I am new to this site and I am interested in doing severe weather research either on my own or with someone else. I have years of experience with storms and know both the basic and advanced spotters guides. I will need to get a grant if I have to get my own equipment so if someone knows anything about that I would appreciate it. If I go with somebody, I can help with equipment, transcribing notes, or anything that will be of assistance. I want to learn more about severe weather and help improve warning times.

Tell us about your years of experience and your area of expertise. Also, what exactly do you plan on researching?

 

[Dan Robinson]

I agree with Lanny and Jason, and would go a step farther to say that I would think twice about investing much of your life/money/time toward making severe storms an academic or career focus. Anything involving thunderstorms, supercells, tornadoes, hail, etc is usually a dead-end road as far as something that can pay your bills. As a non-paying or marginally part-time side project, that's a little more realistic. The general meteorology field is a better bet to be involved in something weather-related and still keep the mortgage paid, but more likely than not you won't be doing much operationally with convective severe weather. This isn't to discourage your ambition, but just a dose of reality.

 

[Adam Lucio]

Unfortunately, everyone who already replied to this thread is correct. Yea, it would be nice to live in a world where people could easily find meaningful ways to make a living doing something they love/are passionate about...but...thats not the real world. Spend thousands on a fancy degree and start brown nosin' its the only way to get anywhere these days.

 

[Greg Blumberg]

I'll add that most severe weather researchers that I know are either attempting to obtain their M.S., Ph.D., or are engaged in academia via some post-doc. The ones who are typically able to obtain grants for severe weather researchers are the professors at universities.

The education you receive in college will help you interpret the research that is either already taking place or has been done. A meteorology degree sorta helps you learn how to "speak the language".

 

[Zach Young]

About the only thing I can think of was the old thread about people volunteering their chase vehicles for mobile mesonet duty. And by "volunteer" I mean, paying for mesonet gear and collecting data for researchers. Of course you wouldn't actually be doing the research, but you could be proud knowing you were an additional data point for others! I can't recall if that ever got off the ground or not.

Other than that, you're going to need some actual training, not to mention a whole lot more books than just the spotters guides. To put it in perspective, the sorts of things in the advanced spotters guide are covered in maybe 1-2 days of a 4 year meteorology degree!

 

[Donovan Gruner]

About the only thing I can think of was the old thread about people volunteering their chase vehicles for mobile mesonet duty. And by "volunteer" I mean, paying for mesonet gear and collecting data for researchers. Of course you wouldn't actually be doing the research, but you could be proud knowing you were an additional data point for others! I can't recall if that ever got off the ground or not.

Other than that, you're going to need some actual training, not to mention a whole lot more books than just the spotters guides. To put it in perspective, the sorts of things in the advanced spotters guide are covered in maybe 1-2 days of a 4 year meteorology degree!

Heh, I think the things you learn from the advanced spotters guide are things they expect you to know before you even show up...

 

[Nicholas_Scherber]

my ultimate goal is to get a descent paying job in storm research. This is still way off for me though as i am just actually beginning to research what is already known. Although there are not many jobs in storm research, what are the jobs that do exist. And is there any thing i should do to prepare myself other than college.

Sorry i dont want to steal the thread.

 

[Dan Robinson]

What are the jobs that do exist.

There are effectively none. Others can chime in, but I'm not aware of anyone who makes their living purely from severe weather research or anything involving storm chasing (again, aside from the TV show chasers). If these jobs did exist, just about all of us on this forum would probably be working in one. I've even considered in the past to work toward a meteorology degree, but chose not to because the end result would not be doing what I'd want to do.

This is the top question I get asked these days, and the most frequent search query question I see on my web site. I even get requests to talk to high school students about these mythical 'careers'. I hate to be the bearer of bad news to everyone, but these jobs simply do not exist. You might be able to come up with a project and pitch for a grant/sponsorship, but you will not make a living at it even in the unlikely event that you can secure some funding.

 

[Jeff Snyder]

Dan is correct IF you are looking to do publication-level research without any sort of degree. However, there are many jobs that are unavailable to people who don't have the necessary educational requirements. For example, I cannot expect to practice law or assist lawyers if I don't have the necessary education and training. As such -->

What are the jobs that do exist

You *can* find a good job "researching" severe weather topics, though you'll need a meteorology or atmospheric science degree. I know there are some B.S.-level research opportunities (for example, you'll see some SPC/NWS meteorologists publishing articles in peer-reviewed journals), but research-oriented jobs often will require at M.S. or, more likely, a PhD to lead your own research. One of the most obvious ways to find success doing "research" is by pursuing a career in academia by, for example, becoming a professor (e.g. teaching one or two classes a semester while conducting your own research). If you don't really want to teach, there are other opportunities with organizations like NCAR / UCAR and NSSL. In you don't want to take your education to the PhD level, there are some groups -- such as the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies (which is located at OU) -- that employ people with a Masters degree. There's also other research-oriented organizations, often associated with universities, including the Center for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS), and the Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms (CAPS).

As indicated, again, you're almost necessarily going to need to get a college degree in meteorology or atmospheric science if you want to "research". In addition, you'll find many more opportunities if you complete a graduate degree.

 

[DHobbs]

Thank you for your input. I do have a college degree but unfortunately not in meteorology. I was afraid that it would be a problem. My business degree was a waste of time and money and it hasn't opened any doors. It's just the area I live in I guess. But still it doesn't hurt to ask. Good luck to everyone for the 2011 chase season!!

 

[Keith Hosman]

About the only other area that might be related would be mechanical or structural engineering where they study the impact of severe weather on buildings.

For example a friend of mine is plant manager of a place that manufactures garage doors and garage door hardware. They have a testing facility where they use an air cannon to launch "debris" at the doors to test designs and work on improvements. They also use a wind tunnel to simulate hurricane force sustained winds etc.

 

[DHobbs]

The wind tunnel does sound interesting. Most people suggest that it is better to have a meteorology degree, but it also takes support from others to get you off the floor. I just thought there might be something out there that I could assist someone with (transcribing notes, papers, chase logs, etc.) that doesn't require one. I do have a business degree but I graduated from college over 20 years ago and my old school doesn't even offer a degree in meteorology. I just have to do some research to see if there is one close to home. I also realize that you cannot support yourself just doing storm research. Who does?! If there was everyone would be happy. I don't want people to misunderstand what I'm trying to do or think that I'm someone that jumps in my car everytime there is a tornado warning and chases it and stands along the road causing traffic jams. I've been a storm victim myself and it's no picnic! Again, thank you to everyone with your help. I really do appreciate your time. Good luck and be safe!