INAUGURAL SYMPOSIUM FOR STATEWIDE COLLABORATION IN CLIMATOLOGY/METEOROLOGY IN VERMONT



INTRODUCTION


The climate of Vermont and the surrounding regions is best described as changeable or variable. Localized events such as severe thunderstorms and flooding, as well as the effects of teleconnections (patterns that take place in remote locations that in turn produce effects locally) all contribute to the variability of the local regime. Within this context, and in order to place this inherent variability within the framework of ongoing needs and future impacts, a symposium was convened on December 2, 1997 at the University of Vermont. Under the auspices of the Office of the State Climatologist (Department of Geography, University of Vermont) and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, members of the climate and meteorology communities assembled to discuss the issues of concern for Vermont.

GOALS TO BE ADDRESSED


The following goals were identified by the symposium steering committee as guidelines for the ongoing dialogue of climate and meteorology issues:

  1. To foster communication among agencies, commissions and academic institutions;
  2. To identify and prioritize the needs of climate/meteorology professionals;
  3. To understand the issues of climate and climate changes within the Vermont context;
  4. To document climate change in Vermont, paving the way for incorporation into institutional and policy-oriented frameworks;
  5. To find ways of supporting data availability over the long term;
  6. To develop a sustainable plan that would facilitate continuity in terms of data availability and interaction among groups.

PROCEEDINGS


Over the course of the morning session, a number of presentations were given on topics that included:
  1. Meteorology and Vermont Forest Ecosystem Monitoring - Dr. Tim Scherbatskoy
  2. NWS station data availability via Voyager Exploration software at VforEm - Phil Girton
  3. Data collection and applications - An overview of the NWS/Burlington International Airport - Paul Sisson and Chuck McGill
  4. Meteorological data and computer systems at Lyndon State College - Peter Schmid
  5. Micrometeorological applications for tree physiology and ecology - Tim Wilmot
  6. High elevation data analysis - Charlie Cogbill
  7. Project Atmosphere - Gib Brown
  8. Remote sensing applications - From the High Arctic to Vermont - Dr. Gerry Livingston
  9. The Northeast Regional Climate Center - An Overview - Keith Eggleston
  10. The status of climate in Vermont - Dr. Lesley-Ann Dupigny-Giroux

The afternoon session took the form of two break-out groups who were charged with the tasks of identifying the questions surrounding the status of climate in Vermont; the local impacts of teleconnections; as well as addressing the ongoing needs of meteorology data users across the state.


SUMMARY OF KEY CONCERNS


The following areas were identified as action issues:
  1. updating the database of Vermont weather sites;
  2. the archiving of weather data and the creation of a centralized website to facilitate their distribution;
  3. the necessity for high elevation data sites with a real-time capacity;
  4. the desirability of accessing private data sources;
  5. the promotion of data collection over the long term;
  6. the measurement of climate variables in addition to the traditional meteorological parameters;
  7. identifying and documenting the projected changes in the climate and providing public outreach of the resulting products;
  8. the synthesis of historical information;
  9. to identify and prioritize key variables (of a hydrology/biology/climate/meteorology nature) that are currently not well represented.

CONCLUDING REMARKS


This symposium represents the first in a series of meetings designed to showcase weather-related activities around the region, and to facilitate interagency collaboration. The complete version of the proceedings will be available from the Vermont State Climatologist shortly. To request a copy or for more information, please contact:

Dr. Lesley-Ann Dupigny-Giroux
Vermont State Climatologist
University of Vermont
Department of Geography
Old Mill Building
P.O. Box 54170
Burlington, Vermont 05405-4170
(802) 656-3060 (phone)
(802) 656-3042 (facsimile)
ldupigny@zoo.uvm.edu

MORE WEATHER LINKS FROM AROUND THE STATE

Coming

Weather OR Not
NWS/Burlington International Airport
The Fairbanks Museum
Harris-Mann Climatology - The 1998 Vermont Town and Weather Almanac

Last updated 9 March, 1998