Forensic Meteorology

You may have watched the many shows on TV which deal with the varied fields of forensics.  The meaning of forensics is belonging to, used in, or suitable to courts of judicature or to public discussion and debate.  

Essentially, a forensic meteorologist is a kind of weather detective. They reconstruct events related to weather, often providing consulting and expert witness testimony to legal firms and insurance companies.. The job of this kind of “weather detective” is to help provide information regarding the specific role that weather (cold, snow, wind, rain or other types) may have played in a fire or accident that has caused damage to people or property. Sometimes accidents such as these have legal and insurance repercussions, and the forensic meteorologist is called upon to give their insights in court or in other settings.

Forensic meteorology requires the use of many different kinds of tools and instruments in addition to solid reasoning in math and science. Someone working in the field will likely make use of satellite images, computer weather modeling and various eyewitness reports as they reconstruct a timeline surrounding a weather event. A forensic meteorologist will often be called to a scene in the wake of a major storm or weather catastrophe.

When such a major storm hits, such as a hurricane, flood or tornado, sometimes local weather stations aren’t able to function, which is when a meteorologist must rely more on modeling and prediction skills. In addition to being present after major events, the skills of forensic meteorology might be useful in determining the cause of an accident involving ice or lightning hazards.  (cite:https://www.emergency-management-degree.org)

With increasing losses from severe weather in recent years, the demand for forensic meteorological services has also grown. In the US, many forensic meteorologists are certified by the American Meteorological Society (AMS)’s rigorous Certified Consulting Meteorologist (CCM) program.

CoCoRaHS reports for yesterday show very little rain in the Kent, Allegan and Kalamazoo counties corridor, mainly trace to a couple hundredths of an inch.

The next couple of days could be unsettled, as we will sit north of a warm front that will be situated across Illinois and Indiana. Potential exists for some showers and thunderstorms across Southwest Michigan from Friday through Saturday as showers and storms roll east north of the warm front. Up until that point we will be mainly dry today and tonight. High temperatures will reach near the 80 degree mark today but fall back into the 70s for Friday and Saturday with clouds and precipitation in the area. Sunday and Monday look dry at this point as high pressure noses in from the north.