Tenth Tri-State Weather Conference Schedule

Saturday, October 10, 2026

Science Building Midtown Campus
Western Connecticut State University, 181 White Street, Danbury, CT 06810

The conference is presented by the Meteorology Program at Western Connecticut State University and co-sponsored by the WCSU Student Chapter of the AMS, the New York City/Long Island Chapter of the AMS, NOAA/National Weather Service/Upton, NY, NOAA/National Weather Service/Albany, NY, and NOAA/National Weather Service/Boston/Norton, MA.

Tentative Schedule & Speakers

8:15 – 9:00 a.m. Registration – Continental Breakfast
9:00 – 9:05 a.m. Introduction: Craig Allen, Emcee 
9:05 – 9:10 a.m. Welcome:  President Jesse M. Bernal, Ph.D WCSU
9:15 – 9:40 a.m. Kim Cobb, Brown University.

Coastal Climate Resilience

9:45 – 10:10 a.m. Adam Futterman, DOC/NOAA/NWS Ocean Prediction Center.

Ocean Prediction Center and Our Role At The NCEP and the Marine Community

10:15 – 10:40 a.m. Paul Taschereau,, Periship.

El Niño, Tri-State Area Impacts

10:40 – 11:00 a.m. Break
11:00 – 11:25 a.m. Xinxuan Zhang. WCSU Biology Professor.

From Historical Hurricanes to Modern Risk: A Multi-System Impact Analysis for Connecticut

11:30 – 11:55 p.m. Erica Bower, CIRES.

Urban Rain Rate Dashboard (URRD)

12:00 – 1:10 p.m. Buffet Lunch in Berkshire Hall
1:15 – 1:45 p.m. Michelle Mainelli, Deputy Director NWS *Keynote Speaker*

From Vision to Value: the Power of National Weather Service Transformation

1:50 – 2:15 p.m. Stephen Wagener, WCSU Biology Professor.

Fire weather, Fire Climate

2:20 – 2:45 p.m. Hayden Frank, Boston, NWS.

January 25-26, 2026, Major Winter Storm

2:45 – 3:00 p.m. Break
3:00 – 3:25 p.m. Dave Radell, Upton, NWS.

February 22-23, 2026 Blizzard

3:30 – 3:55 p.m. Michael French, Stony Brook Univerisity, Associate Professor.

Using WSR-88D (NEXRAD) Radar To Try To Predict Supercell Tornadogenesis And Tornado Peak Intensity

4:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Panel Discussion and Closing Remarks
 

 

The registration fee is $30 and will include a continental breakfast and a pizza/salad bar lunch, along with conference materials.(Total cost including all fees is $33.00 by mailed in check and $35.53 with a credit card).

Please register online. wcsu.edu/weatherconference/registration

Please arrive early for check-in and continental breakfast served from 8:15 to 9:00 a.m. in the Science Building Atrium.

Gary Lessor, Conference Chair, Western Connecticut State University lessorg@wcsu.edu

Mark Kramer, Conference Co-Chair, AMS NYC/LI Chapter nycliams@weathermarkpro.com