Three scientists from the Short-Term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center participated in multiple capacities at the 35th Conference on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology. SPoRT student Vivian Brasfield gave an oral presentation on a squall line in Hurricane Laura that produced numerous tornado warnings far ahead of the storm’s landfall. Student Kiahna Mollette also gave an oral presentation on the time evolution of lightning flash energy in Hurricanes Laura and Florence. Patrick Duran (ST13) gave an oral presentation on relating lightning flash characteristics to hurricane intensity change and gave a poster presentation on new experimental products produced by SPoRT to track lightning and precipitation in tropical cyclones.
All the presentations were well-received, and the National Hurricane Center will begin assessing the new SPoRT products during this hurricane season. SPoRT was also invited to give a seminar at the National Hurricane Center later this summer to highlight how these new products can be used by forecasters. Duran also served on the Max A. Eaton Student Prize committee, which judges and awards the most outstanding student presentations at the conference. Multiple new collaboration opportunities were established, and existing collaborations advanced through in-person conversations at the conference.
