**TESSA/Texas Storm Conference 2005**

[Amos Magliocco]

The Moller and Edwards talks are strong selling points. Al Moller presenting an hour on hand analysis sounds like the coolest talk of all time, frankly. This is one of the more mysterious of the chaser arts (disappearing fast, I'm afraid) and Al is one of the most experienced severe storm forecasters on the planet.

Some of my north Texas (and Oklahoma) pals are planning to attend, and I'm going to try and make it as well.

 

[Gene Rhoden]

Amos - thanks for your enthusiasm.

It's great to see you are intending on attending!

..Gene..

 

[Gene Rhoden]

Martin Lisius, TESSA's chairman, has just released the following announcement:

____________________________________________________________

TESSA Meeting Announcement

What: TESSA 2005 Texas Storm Conference

Where: Bob Duncan Community Center, 2800 S. Center St., Arlington, Texas

When: Saturday, February 26, 2005, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

The Texas Severe Storms Association (TESSA) and the National Weather
Service (NWS) will collaborate for the 2005 Texas Storm Conference on
February 26 in Arlington, Texas. Speakers from TESSA, NWS, the Storm
Prediction Center and the National Severe Storms Laboratory will deliver
presentations about severe weather. Topics include severe weather safety,
storm spotter training and in-depth discussions on tornado meteorology.

New this year is the first TESSA Super Storm Spotter Session, which will
provide the highest level of training available to storm spotters anywhere
in the country. The session will be presented by Ft. Worth NWS Warning
Coordination Meteorologist Gary Woodall. Mr. Woodall’s presentation is
titled, “Visual, Environmental, and Radar Characteristics of Severe
Storms.†The environmental ingredients required for severe storms and
methods for spotters to identify the presence of these ingredients will be
discussed.

The conference featured speaker is Dr. Louis Wicker, a research
meteorologist at the National Severe Storms Laboratory, in Norman,
Oklahoma. Dr. Wicker’s research produced one of the first computer
simulations that simultaneously contained both the severe storm and the
tornado, and he was a principle investigator in the National Science
Foundation sponsored field program "Verification of the Origins of
Tornadoes Experiment†(VORTEX). His latest computer simulation was
presented in the 2004 “NOVA†television program titled, "Searching for the
Supertwister."

Additional presenters include Alan Moller of the National Weather Service
in Ft. Worth, a pioneer in the development of the national storm spotter
training system; Roger Edwards, Storm Prediction Center forecaster and
veteran storm chaser, and Martin Lisius, Chairman and founder of the
Texas Severe Storms Association.

"The Texas Storm Conference is a natural partnership between TESSA and
the National Weather Service, since both groups are committed to severe
weather education," said Martin Lisius, TESSA Chairman. "It's appropriate
that an event of this quality and magnitude be held in Dallas-Ft. Worth, the
largest metropolitan area in Tornado Alley, an area that experiences the
effects of severe weather on a frequent basis. Over the years,
Dallas- Ft. Worth has become the cradle of storm spotter training techniques
utilized nationwide. The positive impacts that come from an event like this
spread far beyond Texas."

The 2004 conference attracted nearly 300 attendees, including storm
spotters, storm chasers, emergency management officials, forecasters,
educators, students and members of the general public from Texas,
Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas and Louisiana.

The Texas Storm Conference will take place at the Bob Duncan Community
Center in Arlington, Texas on Saturday, February 26. The Super Storm
Spotter Session will begin in the morning and will be followed by additional
presentations in the afternoon. The conference is free and open to the public.
Seating is limited to 500.

Super Storm Spotter window decals and T-shirts will be available at the
TESSA table. Vendors will be on-hand to sell their goods including books,
software and videos. Door prizes will be given away to attendees. Lunch
will be available for purchase at the conference. The location of the
annual “unofficial†post-conference dinner will be announced at the event.

Detailed information about the event, including an agenda and directions
to the meeting, can be viewed on-line at http://www.tessa.org/

_____________________________________________________________

Primary Sponsor:
NBC5 Weather Team: http://www.nbc5i.com/weather/index.html

Supporting Sponsor:
SwiftWX: http://www.swiftwx.com/

Supporting Sponsor:
Tempest Tours: http://www.tempesttours.com/

Vendors and In-Kind Contributors so far:
http://www.accuweather.com/
http://www.cometantenna.com/
http://www.icomamerica.com/
http://www.stormtrack.org/
http://www.weathergraphics.com/
http://www.weatherpix.com/
http://www.onthefront.ws/
http://www.targetarea.net/
http://www.stormskies.com/
_____________________________________________________________

Regards,

..Gene..

http://www.weatherpix.com

 

[Angie Norris]

This is the workshop I've wanted to attend ever since I started chasing. The presentation by Al Moller should be all the reason anyone needs to attend...everything else is icing on the cake. I'll definitely be there.
Angie

 

[Rockwell Schrock]

This thread is for the Chaser Convention in Denver too, right? I just signed up today and I'm psyched to be able to go! I can't wait to finally meet all these chaser legends in person. And of course I'm looking forward to Tim's forecasting class. Who else is going to be there?

 

[Gene Rhoden]

Originally posted by Rockwell Schrock
This thread is for the Chaser Convention in Denver too, right? I just signed up today and I'm psyched to be able to go! I can't wait to finally meet all these chaser legends in person. And of course I'm looking forward to Tim's forecasting class. Who else is going to be there?

No this thread is solely for the TESSA 2005 Texas Storm Conference in Arlington, Texas on February 26, 2005. You must be mistaken. I don't see under your profile where you are from, but you are also very welcome to attend the TESSA meeting. There will be just as many chase legends there for you to meet.

..Gene..

http://www.weatherpix.com

http://www.tessa.org

 

[Rockwell Schrock]

Darnit I misread the thread title... and I can't get out there (from Cape Cod, nontheless) for TESSA (though I'd really like to) because we couldn't find any suitable flights. It is during a vacation week, after all.

Sorry for the mistake. I completely looked over the other sticky thread!

 

[Gene Rhoden]

Originally posted by Rockwell Schrock

Sorry for the mistake. I completely looked over the other sticky thread!

No probs.

..Gene..

 

[Melissa Moon]

I am really sad that I cannot attend. I encourage anyone who has the means to do so to attend. I went last year and had an excellent time! I hope someone takes lots of pictures and puts them on the web so I can see! :-D

 

[Angie Norris]

I just found out that I'm going to have to miss the workshop due to a required, mandatory, 10% of my grade geology field trip that day. I would love to have tapes of the superspotter class and Al Moller's talk. If anyone from the Norman area is going and is going to record these sessions, could I get copies from you?
Angie

 

[Tony Laubach]

Just booked my flight for Dallas; leaving Friday night from Denver and coming back Sunday morning. Quick trip, but well worth it as I've been to the previous 2 conferences. Last year's was incredible and well worth going for! I'm very glad that I'll be in attendence this year for this conference as well! See you all in Dallas! 8)

 

[Skip Talbot]

I just found out that I'm going to have to miss the workshop due to a required, mandatory, 10% of my grade geology field trip that day. I would love to have tapes of the superspotter class and Al Moller's talk. If anyone from the Norman area is going and is going to record these sessions, could I get copies from you?
Angie

I'd also be interested in a copy if TESSA or someone will be selling them.

 

[Melissa Moon]

I just found out that I'm going to have to miss the workshop due to a required, mandatory, 10% of my grade geology field trip that day. I would love to have tapes of the superspotter class and Al Moller's talk. If anyone from the Norman area is going and is going to record these sessions, could I get copies from you?
Angie

Angie,

Don't you get a choice in the days of the field trip? I didn't take geology, but if I remember correctly from what others told me, you get a choice of 2 or 3 dates for the field trip.

 

[Angie Norris]

Melissa,
Nope, no choice apparently. That was the only date he gave us, with March 6th as a backup if the trip gets cancelled for Feb 26th. I guess he wants to get us out there before the snakes and other critters wake up :roll: .
I guess I could try explaining that previous (semi-school related :wink: ) plans are scheduled for that day. Probably won't work, but may be worth a shot.
Angie

 

[Gene Rhoden]

Here's an update from Martin Lisius, TESSA Chairman, about what we can expect fo attendance at TESSA in less than one month - and also some tips for those who are traveling from a distance for the conference:

--------------------------------------------------------------

I have received e-mails from folks as far away as CA, FL, AL, OH, etc. who
are planning to attend the TESSA 2005 Texas Storm Conference in Arlington on
Feb. 26. We had close to 300 attend in 2004. We think there will be more
this year, so we booked a facility for 500. If I had to guess, I think
we'll have about 400, or a bit more. Still, it's conceivable that we will
exceed 500, so persons traveling a long distance should play it safe and
arrive early, perhaps by 7:00 AM. Plan on staying in Arlington the night
before. We've listed several nearby, moderately-priced lodging options at
http://www.tessa.org/meeting_directions_lodging.html You can also find good
lodging deals at www.expedia.com.

The show starts at 8:00 AM and ends at 5:00 PM with the unofficial dinner to
follow.

One other note. The TSC is not at the Arlington Convention Center. It is
at the Bob Duncan Center at 2800 S. Center Street in south central
Arlington. It is actually closer to I-20 than I-30.

Martin

--------------------------------------------------------------

..Gene..