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Local Research, Studies, and Event Reviews

 When we aren't making forecasts, issuing severe weather warnings, and going out into the community to increase weather awareness, our staff is perpetually working to improve the way we do things. This page offers a glance into some of the research that we are incorporating into daily operations and reviews of past weather events. These notes, papers, abstracts, articles, and technical memorandums are organized by topic.

Note: Many of these files are in PDF format (click here to download a free PDF reader) and are several megabytes in size.

Forecasting
Papers and presentations presenting research on new forecasting techniques and discoveries, and forecast notes on weather scenarios significant to Tennessee Valley weather forecasting.

• Allen, H., C.B. Darden, J. Mecikalski: The Latency of Model Generated Precipitation in Winter Time Cyclones. 19th Conference on Hydrology, San Diego, CA, January 2005.(poster presentation)
• Allen, H.: Utilizing Mobile Integrated Profiling System Data for Operational Forecasting. Abstract submitted to 19th Conference on Hydrology, San Diego, CA, January 2005. (abstract)
• Darden, C.B.: Note on Fall Frontal Passages. Forecasting Note, October 2005.
• Jedlovec, G. J., S. L. Haines, R. J. Suggs, J.T. Bradshaw, C.B. Darden, and J. E. Burks: Use of EOS Data in AWIPS for Weather Forecasting. 20th Conference on Weather Analysis and Forecasting, Seattle, WA, January 2004.
• Richter, M., W. R. Schaub, Jr.: Minimum Temperature Study for Northeast Alabama: Preliminary Results for the Winter and Spring Seasons. Forecasting Note, November 6, 2003.
• Schaub, Jr., W. R.: Gravity Waves: Those Important to Operational Weather Forecasting. Forecasting Note, February 28, 2005.
• Schaub, Jr., W. R.: Valley to Ridge Temperature Differences in Northeast Alabama. Forecasting Note, April 4, 2003.

General Operational Topics
Papers and presentations researching and discussing topics pertinent to operational meteorology.

• Carcione, B.C., T. Troutman, J.M. Coyne, J.E. Burks: The WEBCEM- An Automated Dissemination Method for issuing Non-Weather Related Hazardous Warnings via the Web. National Weather Association Annual Meeting, Cleveland, OH, October 2006. (abstract)
• Darden, C.B., B. Carroll, S. Goodman, G. Jedlovec, B. Lapenta: Bridging the Gap Between Research and Operations in the National Weather Service: Collaborative Activities Among the Huntsville Meteorological Community, NOAA, Technical Memorandum NWS SR-222, 2002.
• Lapenta, W., R. Wohlman, J.T. Bradshaw, G. Jedlovec, S. Goodman, C.B. Darden, J.E. Burks, P. Meyer: Transition From Research To Operations: Assessing Value of Experimental Forecast Products Within the NWSFO Environment.

Severe Weather
Formal severe weather event reviews and experimental techniques being integrated for use in an operational setting during severe weather.

• Bridenstine, P., C.B. Darden, J.E. Burks, S. J. Goodman: The Application of Total Lightning Data in the Warning Decision Making Process. Conference on the Meteorological Applications of Lightning Data, San Diego, CA, January 2005. (poster presentation)
• Buechler, D.E., S.J. Goodman, C.B. Darden: Total Lightning data in Weather Forecasting: The SPoRT Perspective. National Weather Association Annual Meeting, Fort Worth, TX, October 2002. (abstract)
• Carcione, B.C., D.J. Nadler, A. Kula: A Rare Early Fall Case of Non-Tropical Tornadic Supercells in North Alabama. 6th Annual Southeast Severe Storms Symposium, Starkville, MS, March 2007. (presentation slides)
• Darden, C.B.: Near Storm Environment Parameters: A Review and Recent Case Study, February 2007.
• Darden, C.B., J.E. Burks, J.T. Bradshaw, D. Boccippio, S. J. Goodman, R. Blakeslee, E. McCaul, D. Buechler, J.Hall, J.Bailey: The Integration of Total Lightning Information into National Weather Service Operations. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA, December 2003. (abstract)
• Darden, C.B., P. Bridenstine, J.E. Burks, S. J. Goodman, D. Buechler, J.Hall, J.T. Bradshaw: The Integration of Total Lightning Information into National Weather Service Operations. Conference on the Meteorological Applications of Lightning Data, San Diego, CA, January 2005. (abstract)
• Goodman, S. J., R. Blakeslee, H. Christian, D. Boccippio, W. Koshak, J. Bailey, J. Hall, M. Bateman, E. McCaul, D. Buechler, C.B. Darden, J.T. Bradshaw, and R. Boldi: The North Alabama Severe Thunderstorm Observations, Research, and Monitoring Network (STORMnet). 17th International Lightning Detection Conference, Tucson, AZ, October 2002.
• Goodman, S. J., R. Blakeslee, H. Christian, W. Koshak, J. Bailey, J. Hall, E. McCaul, D. Buechler, C.B. Darden, J.E. Burks, and J.T. Bradshaw: The North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array: Recent Results and Future Prospects. 12th International Conference on Atmosphere Electricity, Versailles, France, June 2003.
• Kula, A., A. Duncan: Documentation of a rare low precipitation supercell in the Tennessee Valley. 6th Annual Southeast Severe Storms Symposium, Starkville, MS, March 2007. (presentation slides)
• Weber, K.T.: Severe Weather Climatology of Huntsville Weather Forecast Office County Warning Area. Technical Memorandum, 2003.
• Zika, M., C.B. Darden, M. Richter: The Hail Outbreak of 02 May 2003: An Overview of One of Alabama’s Costliest Hailstorms. National Weather Association Annual Meeting, Jacksonville, FL, October 2003. (abstract)

Event Reviews
A variety of event reviews (some informal) offering a "behind-the-scenes" glimpse into our meteorological thinking before, during, and after some notable weather events that affected our area. Note: These are sorted by event date rather than alphabetically by author.

• Zika, M.: The Severe Weather Outbreak of 02 May 2003: An Overview of One of North Alabama's Costliest Hailstorms. Event Review (presentation slides), October 2003.
• Bridenstine, P.: Heavy Rainfall and Flash Flooding of May 6, 2003. Event Review, May 2003.
• Bradshaw, J.T.: May 17, 2003 Squall Line and Tornadoes. Event Review (presentation slides), May 2003.
• Darden, C.B.: January 8th Ice Event: A Brief Overview. Event Review, January 2004.
• Richter, M.: Event Review of Low Temperatures Across the Huntsville CWA on 01/14/2004. Event Review, June 2004.
• Bridenstine, P.: Rain "non-event" of February 1, 2004. Event Review, February 2004.
• Richter, M.: Meteorological Review of the 05 Feb 2004 Rainfall and Flooding Event. Event Review, February 2004.
• Schaub, Jr., W. R., J.T. Bradshaw, B.C. Carcione, S. Shumway, K.T. Weber: Post-Mortem Review of the 15 February 2004 Snow Event. Event Review, June 2004.
• Darden, C.B.: May 30th-31st Severe Weather Review: Radar Sampling Issues. Event Review (presentation slides), June 2004.
• Carcione, B.C.: Severe MCS of 4 July 2004. Event Review, July 2004.
• Bridenstine, P.: Marginally-Severe Hail Event of December 10, 2004. Event Review, December 2004.
• Schaub, Jr., W. R.: December 22-23, 2004 Freezing Rain Event. Event Review, December 2004.
• Bridenstine, P., B.C. Carcione, A. Kula, M. Zika: February 21, 2005 Hail Storms. Event Review, March 2005.
• Kula, A.: A Meteorological Review of the 22 April 2005 Severe Weather Event in Northeast Alabama and Southern Middle Tennessee. Event Review, May 2005.
• Carcione, B.C.: Isolated Severe Thunderstorms of May 14, 2005. Event Review, May 2005.
• Schaub, Jr., W. R.: Severe Weather Event of 20 May 2005. Event Review, May 2005.
• Kula, A.: June 6, 2005 Pulse Severe Hail and Wind Storms. Event Review, June 2005.
• Darden, C.B.: June 20th 2005 Severe Weather Review. Event Review (presentation slides), July 2005.
• Kula, A.: July 12, 2005 Local Strong Winds and Flash Flooding. Event Review, July 2005.
• Schaub, Jr., W. R.: Severe Weather Event of 22 July 2005. Event Review, July 2005.
• Kula, A., W.R. Schaub, Jr.: Severe Weather Event of September 25, 2005 (Remnants of Hurricane Rita). Event Review, March 2006.
• Schaub, Jr., W. R.: Severe Weather Event of 15 November 2005. Event Review, November 2005.
• Carcione, B.C., C.B. Darden: Severe Weather Event of November 28, 2005. Event Review, December 2005.
• Schaub, Jr., W. R.: Severe Weather Event of March 13, 2006. Event Review, March 2006.
• Nadler, D.J.: April 2-3, 2006 Severe weather - event overview. Event Review, April 2006.
• Schaub, Jr., W. R.: Severe Weather Event of 7 April 2006. Event Review, April 2006.
• Elliott, J.C., B.C. Carcione: A Review of the 03-04 April 2007 Severe Weather Event. Event Review, April 2007.
• Darden, C.B.: South Huntsville Flooding, August 29th 2007. Event Review, August 2007.