Weather forecasting team takes top honor

A Mississippi State weather forecasting team is on cloud nine after taking its first national championship.

Each year, teams from approximately 30 meteorology departments across the country compete for the most accurate weather forecast for a U.S. city during 13 two-week periods. In this year's competition, MSU's 21-member team was assigned to forecast Miami, Fla.'s maximum and minimum 24-hour temperatures, as well as the amount of expected precipitation.

"While forecasting temperatures for Miami may not seem all that challenging, estimating expected precipitation amounts for this area was an extremely difficult task," said assistant geosciences professor David Arnold. "This is a very dedicated group of volunteers."

While 1997 marked the first overall team win, MSU meteorology students won three individual national championships over the past five years, said Arnold, the team's chair.

The geosciences department offers an integrated, interdisciplinary study at both the bachelor's and master's degree levels. The curriculum is designed to provide training for careers in petroleum and environmental industries, state and federal agencies, meteorological and climatological consulting, and weathercasting for radio and television, among others.

The department participates with the National Weather Association and the American Meteorological Society in training individuals for the "Weathercaster Seal of Approval." It also is the home of the Office of the State Climatologist and the university's climatology laboratory. The National Weather Forecast Contest is administered by the Department of Meteorology at Pennsylvania State University.