Christopher Kwinta, a master's student in Atmospheric and Earth Science at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of the University of Alabama system, achieved top honors in the 2023-2024 season in the WxChallenge, a prominent North American collegiate weather forecasting competition. Kwinta secured second place overall in the competition, making him the top U.S. forecaster among participants from both the U.S. and Canada. He earned a total of three medals this season, in addition to a trophy from the previous season.
Hosted by the University of Oklahoma, the WxChallenge is a prestigious competition involving over 1,300 participants annually. This rigorous competition requires competitors from across the country to predict maximum and minimum temperatures, precipitation, and maximum wind speeds for various U.S. cities over a ten-week period each semester, challenging the skills of both student and faculty meteorologists.
"The most rewarding aspect of the competition for me is that you have to apply the physical understanding of the weather that you learn in class and combine this knowledge with techniques that aren't learned in class," says Kwinta. "I've heard people claim that the contest is all about memorizing weather model output and their biases, which is great until your favorite model 'sees a ghost' and produces output that someone with a particular understanding of meteorology might figure out makes little physical sense," he shares. Kwinta also explains that weather conditions can vary significantly from what models predict, especially near the ground.
Kwinta credits his success to his studies at UAH and work at the Department of Atmospheric and Earth Science (AES) and the UAH Earth System Science Center (ESSC). He serves as a graduate research assistant under Dr. Sean Freeman, an assistant professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Earth Science, a position that has provided Kwinta with invaluable experience and mentorship. While his GRA position is issued by the AES, the funding sits in the ESSC, allowing him to benefit from both departments' resources and expertise.
Dr. Freeman specializes in thunderstorms and their environmental interactions. He has created a collaborative environment, emphasizing the importance of connecting academic research with real-world applications. His research spans from basic atmospheric science to applied science, focusing on how the environment influences thunderstorms and lightning. Under Dr. Freeman's guidance, Kwinta has been able to explore his interests in lightning and severe weather phenomena: he has worked on cloud tracking algorithms and the innovative Python-based tobac algorithm, which tracks cloud features over time in big datasets.
In addition, Dr. Freeman works with drones to measure atmospheric conditions. This research aims to fill the data collection gap between ground-based observations and higher-altitude balloon measurements, offering a more detailed understanding of the lower atmosphere. Students working at the AES department, including Kwinta, are actively involved in these innovative projects, gaining valuable hands-on experience directly applicable to both research and forecasting.
As Kwinta looks to the future, whether it involves further academic pursuits or a professional career in the National Weather Service, the foundation he has built at UAH will certainly support his continued success. The collaborative environment led by researchers like Dr. Freeman plays a crucial role in nurturing and developing students' skills.
