Severe and Unusual Weather - Spring 2009 (GRG333C)

Geography 333C (Unique # 36750) Tu/Th 9:30am - 10:45am
Geography 333C (Unique # 36755) Tu/Th 12:30 pm - 1:45 pm

SEVERE AND UNUSUAL WEATHER
Spring 2 0 0 9

DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY AND THE ENVIRONMENT / UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN

CLASS LOCATION/TIME: Geography Building, Room 312, TTh 9:30 am - 10:45 pm (Unique #36750)
Geography Building, Room 312, TTh 12:30 pm - 1:45 pm (Unique #36755)

LECTURER: Troy Kimmel - CV - Biography (E-mail: tkimmel@mail.utexas.edu)
TEACHING ASSISTANT: Shari Wilcox (Email: SEWilcox@mail.utexas.edu )
OFFICE: Geography Building (Northeast Corner of 24th Street and Whitis Avenue), Room 340
OFFICE HOURS: To be announced by class email on Sunday (for the week ahead)...
In general, MW 10:30am-12:00 noon, TTh 8:45am-9:30am & 1:45pm to 2:10pm as well as other times by appointment
PHONES: Home Office 335-6472 (At Times other Than Office Hours), UT Office 232-1590 (During Office Hours), UT Geography Switchboard 471-5116

GRADING PROCEDURE:
You will have the opportunity to earn 400 points during the semester.
At semester's end.. if you have 360 to 400 points, you will earn an "A," 320 to 359 points will earn you a "B," 280 to 319 points will earn you a "C,"
240 to 279 points will earn you a "D," while 0 to 239 points will be designated as failing (an "F").
There will be three exams during the semester (multiple choice, true false, matching, short answer and essay). Each of these exams will count 100 points
(for a total of 300 points). Makeup examinations will be essay style and will only be given at the discretion of the instructor with an official university excuse.
Class participation/attendance, homework and class exercises will count for an additional 100 points.
There will be no final examination.

TEXTBOOK/INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS:
We will be utilizing a textbook as well as a number of instructional materials, including on line web modules.

Severe and Hazardous Weather (3rd Edition) -
Rauber, Walsh and Charlevoix
(Packaged with Homework/Exercise Manual)

Kendall-Hunt Publishing Company

The textbook is available at university area bookstores as well as on the web. Shop around for the best price.

On Line Web Modules:
           TK's Clouds and Precipitation On Line Module
           TK's Tornadoes: A Radar and Satellite Perspective On Line Module
           Severe Weather Forecasting Exercises (Courtesy: Iowa State University)

DAILY WEATHER BRIEFINGS
There will be daily weather briefings, led by the instructor, which will be held at the beginning of class. Students are expected to be aware of the overall
weather pattern before class so that meaningful class discussions can be held.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA):
The University of Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more information,
contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 471-6259, 471-6441 TTY.
If you have documentation regarding accommodations from the Dean of Students office, it is your responsibility to arrange to meet with me, in person and
during office hours, as early as possible in the semester to discuss exact accommodations. When you come to this meeting, you will be required to provide
written documentation from the Office of the Dean of Students.

CLASSROOM / CAMPUS EMERGENCY ACTION PLANS:
The status of University of Texas campus activities in times of emergency (i.e., severe/inclement weather) along with some important procedures
in case of emergencies on our campus as well as in our classrooms can always be found on the University of Texas Emergency Web page.
The University of Texas maintains an Emergency Action Plan that addresses emergencies that could potentially affect the University campus and
our community. You can reference the entire PDF document here.
Our UT Siren System is used in times of emergencies when it is necessary for you to "shelter in place" in campus buildings (remain in or go to the
nearest building on campus when the siren is activated and remain there until the "all clear" is given). The UT Siren System, as part of policy, is
tested monthly on the first Wednesday of every month between 11:50 am and 12:00 noon. Please don't take the siren system tests for granted.
Be ready to take action if the siren system is activated!
We will also discuss, during the first class day of the session, our emergency plan for our specific classroom in case of fire, severe/inclement weather
and other different situations. Please take this discussion seriously and ask any questions that you may have!!

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

UT POLICY ON EMAIL NOTIFICATION
Instructor to student email is a recognized and accepted form of official communication here at the University of Texas. For the
University policy, read this. It is critically important that (1) you make sure to have your current and most frequently checked email
address on file in UT Direct and (2) you check it on a daily basis. I will send class email frequently during the semester and you'll
be given updates and change notices in references to lectures as well as exams.

SPRING 2009 SCHEDULE

Please note that all dates on the syllabus are VERY TENTATIVE and can and will change during the semester.
The first three test dates are NOT listed on the syllabus.. the exact date will be announced in class a week (or more)
ahead of time.

GRG333C / Severe and Unusual Weather Class Outline

DATES	SUBJECT MATERIAL	TEXT CHAPTERS
20, 22 Jan	Properties of the Atmosphere	Ch 1
27, 29 Jan	Meteorological Measurements	Ch 2
3 Feb	Weather Maps	Ch 3
5, 10 Feb	Forecasting and Simulating Severe Weather	Ch 4
12, 17 Feb	Atmospheric Instability / Forces and Force Balances	Ch 5, 6
	EXAMINATION #1
19, 24 Feb	The Development of High and Low Pressure Areas/Air Masses and Fronts	Ch 7, 8
26 Feb	Extratropical Cyclones	Ch 9, 10
3, 5, 10, 12 Mar	Thunderstorms	Ch 17
16-20 Mar	---- SPRING BREAK ----
24, 26 Mar	Tornadoes	Ch 18
31 Mar, 2 Apr	Hail Storms	Ch 19
	EXAMINATION #2
7, 9 Apr	Floods	Ch 24
14 Apr	Downbursts	Ch 21
16, 21 Apr	Lightning	Ch 20
23 Apr	Tropical Cyclones	Ch 23
28 Apr	Drought
30 Apr, 5 May	El Nino, La Nina and the Southern Oscillation	Ch 22
	Other Material Covered / Time and Weather Permitting (In Order): Heat Waves (Ch 26) Cold Waves (Ch 13) Freezing Precipitation and Ice Storms (Ch 11) Mountain Windstorms (Ch 16) Great Plains Blizzards (Ch 14) Mountain Snowstorms (Ch 15) Lake Effect Snows (Ch 12)
7 May	EXAMINATION #3