Cliff Mass UW

VIDEO: Cliff Mass Unlocks Weather Secrets

Posted on by Margaret Murray. This entry was posted in Engaging Interests and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

It’s rainy and cold today. As a relative newcomer to the Pacific Northwest, I assumed there was nothing to be done about that until spring. But Cliff Mass opened my eyes.

Cliff, a professor in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences, rides his bike almost every day, but avoids getting soaked. He knows black ice is the biggest weather danger here, and he knows how to avoid it. He even taught us how to bask in a sunny afternoon by heading to a rain shadow! If you can accurately predict the weather, you can control so much of your day-to-day life.

Cliff shared his favorite weather websites with a packed room.

Cliff shared his favorite weather websites with a packed room.

Cliff began by saying that his talk would not be an academic one, but a fun one. It definitely was. He covered everything from local weathercasters to how Washington clouds spawned the flying saucer fascination. I had no background in weather and enjoyed it immensely. Check it out.

Other attendees seemed to like it as much as I did. Randy Shuman, retired oceanography professor, said he enjoyed seeing which smartphone services were the best and noted that the talk was at a good level for a lay audience. Maria Tong, program coordinator in the School of Nursing, noted that the talk was “really useful” and she especially enjoyed learning about radar and clouds.

The University Book Store was on hand with Cliff’s book.

The University Book Store was on hand with Cliff’s book.

 

Cliff chatting with attendees and signing books after his talk

Cliff chatting with attendees and signing books after his talk

Be sure to bookmark the video if you weren’t able to attend. It will definitely come in handy when you’re ready for a rain break this winter!