Colorado State University Presents Beautiful Weather, Storm Chasing, Tour of National Center for Atmospheric Research

Despite the heat and ongoing dryness along the Front Range, weather buffs should find the latter part of August a pleasant time.

The Colorado Climate Center at Colorado State University will present a series of programs in Fort Collins, Greeley, Estes Park and Boulder that feature weather scientists and a tour of the National Center for Atmospheric Research.

The programs, organized by the Climate Center’s Colorado Collaborative Rain and Hail Study, are free and open to the public.

On Aug. 15, Grant Goodge, who retired from the National Climatic Data Center in Ashville, N.C., will present "The Natural Beauty of Weather-A Photographic Journey Into the Atmosphere." Goodge, an experienced pilot, photographer and climatologist, will be at Colorado State’s Atmospheric Science Building on the Foothills Campus from 7-8:30 p.m. Those attending are invited to bring their own weather pictures to share with other participants.

To reach the Atmospheric Science Building, take LaPorte Avenue west from Overland Trail about three-quarters of a mile and turn left at the second road.

Goodge also will talk on "Good Weather for Flying" at 4:30 p.m. Aug. 16 in the Hondius Room of the Estes Park Public Library. He will discuss and demonstrate weather phenomena affecting flying as well as show what can be seen and learned about weather from the air.

At 7 p.m. Aug. 16, Goodge will speak at the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center Auditorium in Rocky Mountain National Park. He will present a photographic essay on weather and the interplay of weather and nature.

At 7:30 p.m. Aug. 17, Bruce Lee of the University of Northern Colorado will present "Storm Chasing in Colorado." He will speak on the third floor of Ross Hall on the University of Northern Colorado campus.

The Colorado Climate Center has arranged an Aug. 21 field trip to the National Center for Atmospheric Research and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast center in Boulder. Those attending are asked to meet in the National Center for Atmospheric Research’s parking lot, at the Mesa Lab, at 9:45 a.m. and will complete the tour at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration facilities at 325 S. Broadway. Lunch is available in the facility’s cafeteria. Science teachers and children accompanied by adults are welcome to attend.

Reservations for the field trip are required. To register, call the Colorado Climate Center at (970) 491-8545.

The Colorado Climate Center collects data on the state’s climate and makes the information available online and in print. The Center also publishes the quarterly, "Colorado Climate."

The Colorado Collaborative Rain and Hail Study has, since 1998, involved more than 300 volunteers, ages six to 80, in measuring rainfall and hail. The program is designed to help collect data for the Colorado Climate Center and to better understand the highly variable nature of precipitation in this region.

For more information on any of the programs, call (970) 491-8545 or visit the Collaborative Rain and Hail Study Website at http://ccc.atmos.colostate.edu/~hail.