Mesonet connection, 07/2011, v.2 no.6

              connec t ion
many different fascinating scientific concepts and gadgetry.
The most popular was the tornado simulator, of course!
For their final day, students took over the atrium in the NWC
lobby and demonstrated activities from earlier in the week
for their parents. A number of older students expressed
interest in becoming mentors for future Mesonet Weather
Camps, while younger ones said they “want to come back
next year.” The campers unanimously gave the program
high marks, with many describing it as “the best experience
of their lives.”
Volume 2 — Issue 6 — July 2011
www.mesonet.org
IT WAS A WEEK OF WEATHER WONDER and learning for
middle and high school students. Students visited weather
facilities housed at the National Weather Center in Norman,
checked in with Rick Mitchell at KOCO TV and explored
weather physics at the Science Museum Oklahoma.
The first annual Oklahoma Mesonet Weather Camp was
held June 5-10 at the National Weather Center in partnership
with OU’s Precollegiate Program. The weeklong camp
introduced middle and high school students to advanced
meteorology concepts and careers in meteorology. While
the majority were Oklahoma students, participants came
from as far away as California.
Students learned about the complexity of monitoring
and forecasting weather through a variety of hands-on
investigations. Students investigated sunlight levels using
solar cars, wind-resistant housing designs and instrument
calibration with tipping bucket rain gauges.
In addition to the lessons, the students toured the National
Weather Service, the Storm Prediction Center, an Oklahoma
Mesonet site and the Oklahoma Mesonet instrument
calibration lab. One of their tour highlights was checking out
storm chaser mobile mesonet and radar vehicles. They also
launched a weather balloon with a National Weather Service
meteorologist.
On day four, students traveled to Oklahoma City to visit
the facilities of KOCO and Science Museum Oklahoma.
During their tour of KOCO, the campers got to try out their
weathercasting skills in front of a green screen and talk
with chief meteorologist Rick Mitchell about the life of a TV
meteorologist. That night, the Mesonet Weather Camp visit
was featured on the 10:00PM news. Their next stop was
Science Museum Oklahoma, where they were exposed to
MESONET
WEATHER
CAMP
Mesonet Weather Camp students study the tornado simulator at Science
Museum Oklahoma. Severe weather was a part of the curricula at this
year’s weather camp.
FIRST ANNUAL
–by Danny Mattox