National Weather Service Forecast Office

WFO Lubbock Participates in Groundhog Job Shadow Day

By Steve Cobb
Science and Operations Officer
WFO Lubbock, TX
steve.cobb@noaa.gov

Image of Steve Cobb (left) and Nathan Ortiz (right)

Steve Cobb, WFO Lubbock Science and Operations Officer poses with Nathan Ortiz, Groundhog Job Shadowing Student from Lubbock’s Coronado High School at the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS). (Photograph by John Lipe, WFO Lubbock Senior Service Hydrologist)

In phase with the National Job Shadowing Day campaign, WFO Lubbock partnered with the South Plains College Tech Prep program to participate in a local Groundhog Job Shadow Day on Thursday, February 2, 2006.

The Tech Prep program is designed to prepare regional high school students for higher education and entry into the workforce – 1,450 students from across West Texas participated in this year’s program! Every February, on or near Groundhog Day, these high school juniors are challenged to “try on” an occupation by shadowing a local business professional and questioning whether their talents and abilities would be a good fit for a job.

As an introduction to National Weather Service (NWS) operations, Steve provided a presentation on the overall functions of the NWS and what it takes to become a meteorologist. Steve coached Nathan in the actual process NWS forecasters use to develop weather forecasts using the AWIPS Graphical Forecast Editor followed by a review of the NOAA Weather Radio – All Hazards warning system

To further fuel Nathan’s expressed interest in severe convective weather, he accompanied Brian LaMarre, Warning Coordination Meteorologist, on a tour of WFO Lubbock’s interactive weather kiosk at the co-located Science Spectrum Museum, as well as a review of the ExploraZone weather exhibit that would make any budding scientists head spin!

. Picture of Steve Cobb (left) and Nathan Ortiz (right)

Steve Cobb, WFO Lubbock Science and Operations Officer, joins Nathan Ortiz, Groundhog Job Shadowing Student from Lubbock’s Coronado High School, at the Tornado Chamber at the ExploraZone exhbit inside the Lubbock Science Spectrum Museum. (Photograph by Brian LaMarre, WFO Lubbock Warning Coordination Meteorologist)

Following an active morning of science and learning NWS operations, Nathan continued his shadowing experience with Carl Hill, Electronics Systems Analyst, in a hands-on tour of the Automated Service Observing System and WSR-88D NEXRAD radar located at the Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport – an experience he’ll never forget!