- Justin Turcotte (e-mail)
That's me on the left standing with Jim Cantore (TWC) and chase partners and friends Adam and James.
About the author...
(updated 4/2/05)
Thanks for taking a look at this site!
I grew up in Anoka, MN and became facinated with severe weather at an early age. I was hooked, no pun intended, when a small tornado displaced a portion of my neighbor's garage into my yard. There was small "damage" path through the prairie and into my dog house. The dog house was destroyed. Fortunately there was very little damage to the family dwelling. Unfortunately, however, I was not at home to witness the event first hand. This event was not a "confirmed" tornado despite touching down in the middle of the day on a Sunday afternoon in a moderately populated neighborhood. Since then I have had a curiosity as to how many tornadoes fail to be observed and reported. Later, another curiosity arose: Do tornadoes in more densely populated counties tend to be rated higher on the Fujita Scale since there are more structures? I am currently attempting to answer these questions and quantify the results as a Master of Science thesis at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln (Read my thesis proposal .pdf). Some of the results will be posted in the Climate section of this site. I recently gave a conference talk of my methods and initial results at the 2004 Severe Storms and Doppler Radar Conference in Des Moines, IA. The large powerpoint file can be found in the climatology or photo section of this site. I highly recommend attending professional conferences, both for the informational aspect as well as the oppurtunity to meet other people in the meteorology profession.
My first two years as a student were spent at the University of Wisconsin - River Falls. I went on to attend St. Cloud State University located in St. Cloud, MN as an undergraduate and obtained a B.S. in Meteorology and a B.A. in Earth Science: Geology. I enjoyed pouncing Dr. Bob Weisman in the SCSU forecast game. He owes me another lunch for this go round. I was barely beaten out of the top spot by two excellent forecasters last fall. Congrats to them, good job! ...Dr. Tony Hansen still owes me a pizza per one of his challenges. During the summer of graduation, I was married to my beautiful Sara at St. Peter's Catholic Church in Delano, MN. Delano is home to the in-laws.
I began forecasting weather using MN-DoT Channel 17 Aviation Weather at a very early age. While working at "the car wash" in high school I was the go-to-guy for the daily forecast. The folks at "the wash" were thrilled if my forecast called for rain as the place would usually close during inclement weather. (Interesting to note: no work, no pay.) My first storm chase was sometime in 1996 on my way home from work. My first genuine documented chases began in the Spring of 2003 when I had more time on my side. The temprorary move to Nebraska most certainly benefited as well. My primary chases in 2003 were on May 4, May 8, June 9, and June 22. I also had the luxury of chasing a local tornado warned storm on Nov 17. Chase season 2004 is beginning to wind down. My first chase of 2004 was in Oklahoma on March 4. My favorite chase was on June 13. Numerous wild and successful chases occured throughout May and June. Photos from most of these chases are embedded within the site.
In August, I began my forecasting career at Meridian Enironmental Technology in Grand Forks, ND. This is an ideal operation and location for me as the firm's primary area of responsibility is in the Central U.S and Grand Forks is also about 200 miles closer to the family than Lincoln. Contrary to what many believe, the Grand Forks area is actually a hotbed of tornado activity. There are easy and generally light traffic routes (I-29, I-94, U.S. 2) nearby to get to the action further away. The Grand Forks area is extremely flat with a grade of maybe a couple feet per mile within the Red River Valley. The area is also severely lacking in tree coverage outside of town. This will allow for spectacular views of storms when they arrive. The area is a prolific MCS corridor during the summer months. I'm already ecstatic to hit the road in chase season 2005 but will not be able to bring along my new baby girl Ellie. Sara is not enthusiastic about mixing tornadoes and babies.
I will keep you posted. Enjoy the rest of this site. Please contact me if you have any questions
- Justin Turcotte (e-mail)
That's me on the left standing with Jim Cantore (TWC) and chase partners and friends Adam and James.
