ATOC 6700

Weather Forecasting Discussion

ATOC 6700 focuses on critical thinking and the ability to build a cohesive, physical “story”, or conceptual model, from limited weather data. The course will require students to apply the concepts learned in the ATOC graduate core classes, particularly ATOC 5050 and 5060, to real weather data with the goal of forecasting the weather 2 to 3 days into the future. Students will develop conceptual models of how atmospheric features, over the depth of the troposphere, impact the sensible weather at the surface of the earth. These conceptual models will be used to evaluate a suite of observational and forecast model products to produce forecasts of temperature and precipitation at Denver and Chicago. While the ultimate, tangible goal of this class is to forecast the weather this class will also help students build the necessary skills to critically analyze and interpret observational and model data, describe their analysis and interpretation in both oral and written formats, develop hypotheses and forecasts based on conceptual models of atmospheric behavior, and test these hypotheses. These are skills necessary for being a successful scientist.

Professor: Dr. John Cassano
Classroom: MacAllister / SEEC N129
Meeting Time:Tuesdays 1230PM to 145PM
Class web site:http://atoc.colorado.edu/~cassano/atoc6700
Office Location: MacAllister/SEEC C279
Office Hours:
Tuesdays 11:00AM to 12:00PM and by appointment
e-mail: john.cassano@colorado.edu