Burich - Closing Thoughts

Well, our 2022 SWIFT adventure has (sadly) come to a close, but we were fortunate to enjoy great success in the field--especially on our last two chase days in Texas!  I hope that everyone has enjoyed reading of our exploits as we've traveled through the Plains and Midwest enjoying local food, local culture, beautiful scenery, and, most importantly, learning about and observing the wonders of our amazing atmosphere through storm chasing!  This year marks my fifth and final time co-leading/leading SWIFT as I will be retiring from the Navy this summer and entering PhD study in severe storms this fall at North Carolina State University.  I could not think of a more fitting or enjoyable way to conclude my time at USNA and 20 years of active duty than being on SWIFT!

The "dusty" tornadic supercell that SWIFT 2022 chased west of Lubbock, TX

As I reflect on the five years I've been privileged to be a part of this internship and "mobile classroom" experience, there are a number of individuals and groups that I would like to thank:

(1) The amazing students who have eagerly participated and engaged with SWIFT since my first trip in 2017.  Their enthusiasm for severe weather and willingness to endure two weeks traveling thousands of miles in a van (with lack of personal space) has been the reason for the existence of SWIFT.  I thank them for their constructive feedback on the training, helpful suggestions through the years, and (mostly) good taste in music!

(2) The staff, teachers, and students of the various Tulsa-area schools in Oklahoma who have invited us to outreach with them each year and share our passion for science with the next generation.

(3) The professionals at the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma--especially Mr. Bill Bunting--for graciously hosting our group each year for an in-depth brief of their mission/responsibilities and tour of the National Weather Center facility and University of Oklahoma School of Meteorology.  The forecasts and products they produce not only help inform government entities, the private sector, and the general public of severe weather risk and safety, but also have been instrumental to our own situational awareness and decision-making in the field.

(4) The USNA STEM Center for their dependable financial support of SWIFT through the years and the training and supplies they have provided for our school outreach.

(5) The leadership of the Oceanography Department at USNA for their support of our training and trust in us to safely execute our trip each year.

(6) The support staff of the Oceanography Department at USNA for their expertise in setting up our van power supply each year.

(7) The other USNA entities who have provided support to us through the years (Prof. Joyce Shade for travel issues, IT for providing mobile mifi units for our van, transportation for accommodating our van request...and giving us their best!, and any others I have failed to mention).

(8) My co-lead from 2021 and 2022, Frank Carmody.

(9) My wife, Corinne, and son, Andrew, for putting up with my two-week absence every May.

And last, but perhaps most importantly...

(10) Dr. Brad Barrett whose vision and leadership first brought SWIFT to life in 2010 and who led/co-led the trip nine times--including three times with myself in 2017, 2018, and 2019.  His enthusiasm for severe weather study in general and SWIFT in particular was instrumental in not only making SWIFT one of the most challenging/rewarding summer internships at USNA, but also in launching the now permanent USNA course SO242: Tornadoes and Severe Storms.      

Again, a hearty 'thank you' to you all!

For all prior SWIFTers, please keep in touch (matthew.burich@gmail.com).  I'm always happy to have a good chase partner (or partners) in the field...or just meet up for a drink!  I look forward to hearing of your exploits and successes in the coming years.

Thanks for reading, and farewell to all!

Matt Burich

Emily - Closing Thoughts

Being a part of the SWIFT team this year has been one of the most remarkable experiences of my Naval Academy career. Having the opportunity to travel and chase severe storms throughout the Midwest has been something truly special.

I learned a lot about the formation (and lack thereof) of supercells and tornadogenesis, building on the material I learned in SO242 this previous semester. Having the opportunity to see firsthand how a lack of moisture, lifting, or insufficient insolation can affect storm initiation allowed me to better understand what I learned in the classroom through application.

My favorite moment on this trip was in west Texas, when we rode just southwest enough to evade the dusty inflow of the storm we were following. The sun hadn’t quite begun to set, but was low enough in the sky to provide a warm glow (almost golden hour!) for the dust-wrapped supercell. What we didn’t know at that moment, was that we were looking at a wedge tornado. As beautiful as it was, it’s really awesome to look back realizing that we observed something even cooler than we knew at the moment.

As we make our way back to Annapolis, I’ve taken a lot of time to think about all of the opportunities we’ve had to chase this year, and I don’t have any regrets. Even though there were a few occasions where we weren't able to observe tornadogenesis, I managed to learn more about what failure in initiation looks like in the field, and gain an appreciation for the special few moments of something amazing happening.

I want to thank everyone who made this trip possible, especially LCDR Burich, the folks over at the SPC in Norman, as well as Caney Valley Elementary School, and the team of awesome individuals I was able to work with in the field.

~Emily

Siena - Closing Thoughts

This internship was a really incredible experience and I am so grateful that I got to be a part of it. I learned a lot about severe weather, and I am very interested in studying it more in the future. I also gained a better appreciation for why studying these storms is important, since they can have such a big impact on people’s lives. 

I think the supercell near Morton, Texas was the most incredible thing I have ever seen. I was amazed when the light started to fade and we could see the towering structure of the storm lit up by lightning. Another one of my favorite sights was the MCS on our final chase day that had a beautiful blue-green color. I can’t think of many other things on Earth that are as beautiful and impressive as these storms.

Another experience that had a great impact on me was when we visited the tornado memorial in Joplin, Missouri. It was an important reminder that while these storms are impressive and fascinating, they can also be very destructive. This is another source of motivation to study storms because the more we know about them, the more we will be able to protect people from them. 

I’m also really grateful that I got to spend time with everyone else on the internship. I enjoyed everyone’s company and we made some great memories together.

Sam - Closing Thoughts

I cannot believe how fast the last two weeks went but how long ago our departure feels. It seems like just yesterday that we left the yard and set off to eventually travel through 24 states, see supercells I could never imagine, and take some of the coolest photos of my life. 

I was always excited to wake up and look to see where we would be going. Who knew mother nature would take us to Michigan! Driving around and seeing our great country was a gift that I did not expect, but thoroughly enjoyed. 

On the other hand, I knew I would love taking pictures but I did not anticipate the pictures I got. I hope that they convey what we saw as well as I had hoped. 

It has been a childhood dream of mine to chase storms on the plains and this has lived up to my dreams. I hope that through our experiences we can share a little of what it was like and inspire you to take a closer look at severe weather in the future. 

Ryan - Closing Thoughts

Hey everyone,

After nearly two weeks of storm chasing, our SWIFT journey is approaching its end. While we didn’t get much luck in terms of tornadogenesis in the first week, we still got to witness some great storms develop. It was amazing being able to see classroom topics unfold in person; the photos and diagrams don’t do justice to the awe-inspiring effect that the weather can leave on a person. Also, one can never fully appreciate the force and energy exerted by the atmosphere until they are standing in the 60 knot winds created by a storm outlow or they are witnessing clouds form before their eyes beneath a rotating mesocyclone.

Photo credit goes to Sam ‘NASCAR’ Ford-Dirks

Despite the incredible atmospheric sights we witnessed on SWIFT, my favorite moment was visiting Caney Valley Elementary and talking to the students. Their excitement and enthusiasm was far greater than we could have expected and their knowledge on scientific concepts caught us completely off guard. Many of those kids have the potential to become great meteorologists or scientists in their own field and it was humbling to have the ability to teach them a little bit about the atmosphere and the Naval Academy in general.

Photo credit goes to LCDR Matt (rescinded) Burich

With thousands of miles under our tires, I would say SWIFT was one of the greatest opportunities I have been afforded while at USNA. Not only did we witness classroom concepts come to live in real-time, we also saw nearly half of the United States in the process. This trip has allowed me to greatly appreciate the awesome power of the weather, the hard-working NWS teams that strive to predict the weather, and the citizens of the Midwest and central U.S. who are subject to the weather. Not only did we learn a ton, but two weeks in a van made us grow extremely close to one another. I hope SWIFT will continue for many more years to come so others can be afforded the same opportunities that we had while on this training.

Jack - Closing Thoughts

Good day SWIFT blog post readers.

Without a doubt this has been the best summer training I have participated in. Hopping in a cramped van and driving 7,784 miles (and counting) all to watch severe weather has been an incredible experience. Each day there was a new forecast with new failure modes and a plethora of things to learn. Over the past two years I have been in the classroom learning the theories and mathematical applications of meteorology and atmospheric science. However, in this training I was able to directly apply and experience in real time the knowledge I have previously learned in these classes. Being able to see a forecast come to life, and understand its success or failure has been the most valuable part of this internship. My favorite weather moment was easily witnessing the supercell that formed west of Lubbock, Texas. As I stood in the inflow, I could feel the sheer power that formed the updraft of this storm while I watched it form, and I was in utter awe.

Supercell west of Lubbock, TX

I felt as though I grew more as a person as well, not just as a student. Being able to use technology and available meteorological resources to achieve a mission with this team helped me to become a future leader. It showed me how to communicate better, and how to make informed decisions based on scientific understanding. Additionally, It was incredibly fun to be in this van driving across the country with seven other like-minded people. I had never been to the Midwest before, and virtually every state was a first for me. One of my favorite moments was driving through Kansas and Nebraska through the flat plains and listening to old country music. We also had some amazing food, and some not so great food occasionally, but it was all for the experience.

Cows in Kansas - taken by Samuel Ford-Dirks

While our officer in charge, LCDR Burich, is retiring, I hope that this experience can live on at

USNA and provide others with the same opportunity that I have had.

Thank you!

Jack Volinsky  

 

Thomas - Closing Thoughts

Good morning SWIFT readers, 

What an experience the last two weeks have been. Looking back, I've certainly gained a new appreciation for the beauty and power of supercells and tornadoes. The first couple days were a bit of a whirlwind. We were excited, almost giddy, to be starting the trip. Those first few meals together were filled with eager conversations about model products and SPC outlooks; where we should position ourselves the next day and what could end up failing. We focused hard on the weather briefs to give ourselves the most accurate information possible, and left the hotel with a spring in our steps and a sparkle in our eyes, ready to chase. 

Those early days were a grind. We drove for long distances in the van, listening to music, playing games, and of course pouring over model products and incessantly refreshing the SPC website. I won't forget the feeling of that first chase on Day 4 - we were gunning pretty hard to the west when all of a sudden storms came up on radar to the north. I was driving, and I got such a rush when my navigator told me to turn right down the next country road I could find - it was on! That feeling stuck with me every time we got into a chase, no matter what role I had that day. I think that's one of the most interesting parts of chasing. We know that there is a low chance that we see a tornado, or even the beautiful structure of a supercell - but our hearts start racing nonetheless for the hope that we do get to witness such power and beauty in the environment. But what stands out to me even more is the juxtaposition of that beauty with the destruction that can come with it. From the Joplin memorial on Day 2, to the Gaylord tornado that we missed on Day 7, there was always the underlying threat of something terrible happening in the beauty that we were out there searching for. It underscores the need for more research in early warning systems and really diving into why a supercell becomes tornadic in order to warn people more effectively and ultimately save lives. 

I think the trip really started to come into fruition the moment we stepped outside the western wear store that Ryan bought his hat in. All of a sudden there were towering cumulus all around us, and once again the chase was on. That day and the next day of chasing were the cherries on top of an already awesome trip. We worked incredibly well as a team to put ourselves in position to perfectly see the storms and witness some pretty awesome displays from the atmosphere. That's what we came to see, and after a couple days of running hard, we were rewarded with great vistas. 

I'll be reflecting a lot about this trip in the next few weeks, thinking about the good times that we had together as a group and the awesome scenes that we were able to experience. The friendship, mentorship, and knowledge gained over the last two weeks has been so rewarding. A huge thank you to our two officer leads, the STEM department, and the other five mids that I got to experience the last two weeks with. 

Well, I've been kicked by the wind, robbed by the sleet

Had my head stoved in, but I'm still on my feet
And I'm still, willin'