Jeff Haby

Jeff Haby earned his bachelor's degree in meteorology from The University of Oklahoma's School of Meteorology in 1995, and a master's degree in operational meteorology from the Mississippi State University. As a professional meteorologist, Jeff is devoted to educating college students and the general public about atmospheric science, especially severe weather, synoptic meteorology, atmospheric thermodynamics, and weather analysis/forecasting. Jeff joined the iWeatherNet team in late 2016; his two decades of professional experience in operational meteorology, his work in academia, and the hundreds of technical/educational concept pieces that he has written over the years will make Jeff a tremendous asset to our organization.

The Influence of Wind Shear on Thunderstorms

January 15, 2018May 15, 2017 by Jeff Haby

Strong vertical wind shear is important for the development of severe convective storms including the type of thunderstorm, its orientation, and its life span. Wind shear can influence storms in several ways, including speed shear and directional shear. Speed shear is a change in the wind speed with respect to height, while directional shear is the … Read more

The Tools and Concepts for Forecasting Winter Precipitation

December 21, 2017May 10, 2017 by Jeff Haby

Introduction This informative forecast writing will focus on the weather forecasting tools and concepts that are used to predict winter weather events. There are various types of winter weather events that are analyzed and forecasted including mid-latitude cyclones, ice storms, lake-effect snows and sleet storms. Each of these will be discussed separately. In addition, bust … Read more

General Snow Forecasting

April 6, 2017 by Jeff Haby

Historic snowstorm in North Texas on 2/12/2010. DFW recorded its greatest 24-hour snowfall of all time (12.5").

Snow is a precipitation type that results from the build-up of ice deposition upon condensation nuclei. The snowflake size is amplified as ice crystals join together as the crystals move in the wind. A common theme in ice crystal development is the 6-sized structure of the ice crystals. The chemical bonding of ice molecules produces … Read more

Snow to Liquid Equivalent and Associated Forecasting Pitfalls

April 6, 2017March 16, 2017 by Jeff Haby

The snow-to-liquid equivalent is the amount of liquid precipitation that is produced after melting snow. The temperature profile of the troposphere and the surface temperature are important factors that determine this value. The “average” snow-to-liquid ratio is 10:1. This is saying that if 10 inches of snow fell and that snow was melted it would … Read more

Does a Warm Winter Mean the Summer Will be Hotter than Normal?

December 21, 2017March 14, 2017 by Jeff Haby

Introduction The title is a question that is frequently asked of meteorologists, especially in the wake of an abnormally warm or cool season; it is a topic of interest among atmospheric scientists and the general public alike. In this article, we will attempt to answer this question using climatology, casting aside gut feelings and old … Read more

The Challenges of Forecasting Snow and Other Winter Precipitation in the South

February 4, 2017February 1, 2017 by Jeff Haby

Section 1: Is it Going to be a Big Deal? One of the more difficult forecasts to make is the winter precipitation forecast. The complexity is with determining precipitation type, areal coverage, and whether any winter precipitation will accumulate at the ground surface in the first place. The public is very sensitive to winter forecasts … Read more