I would LOVE to become a regular! I only discovered this site towards the end of last season, and became a frequent (but silent) lurker this season - just registered and made my first post a few days ago.
I hesitated to join in the discussions sooner because, although I've lived in Fla all my life and had a good understanding of the basic terminology used by network meteorologists, I was
blown away by the knowledge level held by many of your contributors here - both expert and amateur. I certainly didn't feel qualified to offer any comments or opinions that would be helpful to anyone, so I just tried to learn all I could from those more educated in this field than I.
Every time I started reading I realized how much more there was to the tracking / analyzing / forcasting of these storms than I had imagined. I bacame more and more interested in hurricanes and in understanding their development and behavior. I feel like I have learned so much this season, and am anxious to learn more! My homework assignment for myself this winter is to study the tropical analysis tools - dropsonde obs, vortex data, etc., and learn how to use them correctly. My kids think I'm nuts, of course - "
Mom,
why would you
want to do homework?!" All I can say is, guess I caught the bug!
After reading this thread, I breathed a sigh of relief. I felt like I was just starting to get connected, and didn't want to wait till June to really dig in. Now I can do my research and check in here for info, support, or if I have a question. YEA!!!
And just a quick word to other "newbies" - While I would still not presume to offer any forcasts or predictions yet, especially on an impending storm being watched closely by nervous residents, I realized that even my limited input was welcome, particularly during the approach and aftermath of a storm. One of the great services this site provides is the real-time, intimate perspective of what conditions are like in multiple locations that can only come from the people who are there! Everyone wants to know what is happening in different areas, and our reports can contribute too. Additionally, I appreciate their patience with my occassional questions, many of which I'm sure they must get asked 1,000 times a year! I have found (most of
) the people on this site to be very kind and eager to provide us with info and advice.
Anyway, didn't mean to go on so long, but I just wanted to say thanks for all the great info and assistance this season, and YES I'm coming back! I would love to one day feel that my knowledge and experience was helping someone else facing a frightening storm, the way the people here have helped me.
See you soon!!
Chelle
in Lakeland