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Christian Schnell, a 2022 José E. Serrano Educational Partnership with Minority Serving Institutions (EPP/MSI) undergraduate scholar, interned with the National Weather Service at the forecast office in Springfield, Missouri.
Christian Schnell, a 2022 EPP/MSI undergraduate scholar. (Image credit: Elvis Efamba/Office of Education)
Christian was a part of a study that compared severe and non-severe pulse thunderstorms in the Ozarks. Pulse thunderstorms are single cell storms that usually develop with weak wind shear and can have severe potential. Because they are so isolated and form quickly without warning, pulse thunderstorms are challenging for meteorologists to forecast and warn if they become severe. Christian analyzed many meteorological parameters using statistical analysis, box and whisker plots, percentile data, and developed a product for the Advanced Weather Information Processing System (AWIPS), which meteorologists use to prepare and issue more accurate and timely forecasts and warnings.
The EPP/MSI scholarship has been my biggest success during my undergraduate degree. Each internship led me to a new understanding of my career path and goals. The knowledge, relationships, and culture I developed will ripple for the rest of my life.
Christian's results will make pulse thunderstorm forecasting more accurate and timely, and improve warnings for proactive messaging to the public, which all coincide with his professional goal to make all National Weather Service forecasts more accurate. Following graduation from the University of the Incarnate Word, Christian plans to work towards fulfilling his childhood dream of becoming a National Weather Service meteorologist who informs the public of our changing earth all while building a more weather ready nation.
Christian Schnell is a 2022 EPP/MSI undergraduate scholar majoring in Meteorology at University of the Incarnate Word.
