NCAR Media Advisory

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2003-MA3

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 12, 2003

BAMEX Media Advisory: Midwest Severe Weather Study Begins with Media Day on May 19

Aircraft and Vehicle Tours, Briefings, and More

BOULDER—Recent severe weather across the Midwest has included more than tornadoes. Some of the thunderstorms have congealed into giant clusters that can spread hurricane-force wind and torrential rain for hundreds of miles. Now researchers are heading to the skies and highways to profile these storm complexes—some of the world's biggest. A media day near St. Louis will kick off BAMEX, the Bow Echo and MCV [Mesoscale Convective Vortex] Experiment.

The media day will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Monday, May 19, at MidAmerica Airport, located about 20 miles east of St. Louis. Below are a summary of the day's activities and directions to the airport. Journalists interested in attending the media day should notify David Hosansky (see contact information above). A full news release on BAMEX can be found on the web.

Scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder are organizing BAMEX. The National Science Foundation is primary funder of the $4-million study. Collaborators include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), and over a dozen colleges and universities.

Media Day Schedule

 

9:30 a.m.	Three-minute overviews from BAMEX researchers BAMEX science goals and recent severe weather—Christopher Davis, NCAR MCVs: What they are and why we care—Christopher Davis, NCAR Bow echoes: Swaths of damaging wind—Morris Weisman, NCAR Instrumented aircraft—David Jorgensen, National Severe Storms Laboratory Mobile weather labs, balloon launches—Kevin Knupp, Univ. of Alabama in Huntsville National Weather Service forecaster participation—Ron Przybylinski, NWS St. Louis
10:00 a.m.	Questions and answers
10:15 a.m. - noon	Launch of radiosonde (weather balloon) from an NCAR research vehicle Tours of two P-3 aircraft, a Lear Jet and ground vehicles— all instrumented for the experiment Interviews and photo opportunities
noon - 1:30	Weather briefing. Camera crews may videotape the start of the briefing.
1:30 - 3:00	Interviews and photo opportunities continue until 3:00 p.m.

Directions to MidAmerica Airport MidAmerica Airport is located in St. Clair County, Illinois, about 20 miles east of St. Louis. The street address is 9768 Airport Boulevard, Mascoutah, IL 62258-5500. When approaching on Interstate 64 from either direction, take Exit 23 and follow signs to the airport. Media Day presentations will be held on Level One of the Passenger Terminal. Left: The weather may be sampled anywhere in the BAMEX study area (red hatched border) as the project unfolds. Three aircraft will traverse the area within a 500-mile radius of St. Louis (purple circle).

This menacing cloud was part of a mesoscale convective system studied in a previous Montana field project. Such systems, dominated by strong, outflowing winds and heavy rain, are the focus of the Bow Echo and MCV Experiment, slated from May 19 to July 6 across the Midwest.