The first meeting of 2001 for the Memphis, TN Chapter of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) was held on 30 January 2001 with seventeen people in attendance. The meeting was held at the Memphis Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZME-ARTCC) and was hosted by Meteorologist-in-Charge of the Center Weather Service Unit (CWSU), Tom Amis. Chairperson Mike Wroten opened the meeting a little after 7:00 PM. Topics discussed included the upcoming West Tennessee Regional Science Fair in Jackson, TN on March 30, for which potential judges were solicited, and two national-scale forecasting contests sponsored by Aquila Energy and Stratus Consulting. In addition, Mike reported on the recent National AMS Conference in Albuquerque, NM, which he attended.

The host for the evening, Tom Amis, began with a slide presentation describing the duties and responsibilities of the CWSU Meteorologists in support of air traffic operations at the ARTCC. He reviewed air traffic delays over the past few years and the impact of weather on operations across the U.S. Besides the ARTCC, the CWSU provides weather input to the ATC System Command Center (ATCSCC) in VA, MEM Approach Control, MEM ATC Tower, Flight Service Stations, and Air Force 1 and 2. The main products issued by the CWSU Met's are Center Weather Advisories (similar to NWS warnings and Meteorological Impact Statements (weather outlooks covering a several hour period). Other products which are dissemenated through the CWSU are forecasts for thunderstorms, low ceilings and visibility, turbulence, icing, precipitation, surface/aloft wind, wind shear, and volcanic ash. Their primary means of relaying data/forecasts is via stand-up briefings twice a day with Traffic Managers and telecons with the ATCSCC. CWSU meteorologists are also responsible for soliciting and disseminating pilot reports. The current tools that allow them to prepare their forecasts include the Weather and Radar Processor (WARP 1), NEXRAD, ITWS/TCWF, and AWIPS. Members were treated to a tour of the CWSU and Traffic Management Unit after the slide presentation.

Respectfully submitted,
Erik Proseus
Vice-President, Memphis Chapter
American Meterological Society

Approved,
Mike Wroten
President, Memphis Chapter
American Meterological Society