The meeting was held at the National Weather Service Office in Jackson. This was the first meeting of the 2001/2002 chapter year. Local chapter president Alan Gerard gave a talk on the National Weather Service’s Interactive Forecast Preparation System (IFPS).
Meeting Minutes
The first meeting of the 2001-02 chapter year was held Thursday, October 4th, at the National Weather Service in Jackson, MS. The meeting was opened by chapter President Alan Gerard with 11 people in attendance.
Discussion was initiated by Dr. Paul Croft in the opening session, concerning AMS minority scholarship applications sent to Jackson State University. It was agreed that Jackson AMS Chapter members could participate in review and ranking of the scholarship applications, as in years past.
Possibilities for the next meeting were also discussed. Alan Gerard proposed that we have the next meeting at French Camp astronomical observatory, for observing with its many telescopes. The observatory director, Jim Hill, is willing to do a planetarium show, and a talk regarding weather on other planets.
Following the opening session, Alan Gerard presented his talk on the National Weather Service’s Interactive Forecast Preparation System (IFPS). Mr. Gerard discussed the capabilities of this ground-breaking forecast information and display tool being implemented at Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs) around the nation. He gave an overview of the suite of graphical and numerical forecast products generated by the system, and the steps taken in preparing the products. Mr. Gerard discussed implications of the graphical forecasts in conveying particular weather threats, and discussed the advantage of graphical products over traditional text products. Discussion took place concerning how IFPS will change the NWS relationship with local media. The presentation was concluded with a demonstration of IFPS product creation, and a look at IFPS products on the world wide web.
The meeting was adjourned by Alan Gerard.
Minutes submitted by Eric Carpenter.
Central Mississippi Chapter of the NWA and AMS 