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Operations Manual

Introduction

1. Introduction 2. Participants       General Guidelines       TASC Coordinator       Forecasters and Team Leaders       Mobile Unit Positions       Non-Mobile Unit Positions 3. Operations: Typical Evolution of Events       Announcement of Operations       Application and Selection of Participants       The Day of Operations       After Operations 4. Glossary 5. Appendix A: Safety Seminar 6. Appendix B. Sample Waiver 7. Chase Resource Documents

TASC (Texas Aggie Storm Chasers) began as a collaborative effort between the Texas A&M Student Chapter of the American Meteorological Society (TAMSCAMS), the Texas A&M Meteorology Graduate Student Organization (MGSO), the Texas A&M Ham Radio Club, and the National Weather Service.

The objectives of TASC are (1) to aid the National Weather Service's issuance and verification of severe weather warnings through the observation of severe storm characteristics in the field, and the dissemination of this information to the National Weather Service, (2) to aid storm surveys and the case study research of severe storms by providing a data base of archived field observations, and (3) to further the understanding of all TASC participants in the wide spectrum of thunderstorm and atmospheric phenomenon that can only be more fully appreciated by viewing such atmospheric features in the field.

TASC operations will consist of mobile spotting teams going out to where thunderstorms are occurring or expected to occur in an effort to observe them in as safe a manner as possible. The mobile teams may be acting independently of each other or working together in the field. TASC participants unable to make the journey in the vehicles may remain at Texas A&M University to provide weather data to teams in the field by means of telephone or ham radio. Concurrently, the capability exists to operate the Aggie Doppler Radar (ADRad) located at the Texas A&M University campus during TASC operations. The radar data along with the observational data collected in the field by the mobile spotting teams will help to examine the accuracy of the radar-based storm warning algorithms.

TASC has received funding in the past from the Graduate Program Enhancement funds of the Texas A&M Meteorology Department, the Texas A&M Department of Student Activities, the National Science Foundation, and TAMSCAMS. These funds were used to purchase ham radio equipment for four mobile units.  TASC currently is an organization supervised and funded entirely by TAMSCAMS.