Ron Przybylinski
Encyclopedia
Ron W. Przybylinski is an American meteorologist with primary areas of interest in bow echo
es, mesovortices
, and quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) tornado
es.
.
He earned his B.S. and M.S. in meteorology at Saint Louis University
in 1977 and 1981, respectively. He worked as the station scientist at the Indianapolis
National Weather Service
office until 1991, when he moved to the St. Louis
NWSFO as Science and Operations Officer. During the late 1980s he served as a project leader on the Operational Test and Evaluation of the WSR-88D Doppler radar
. He is currently a principal investigator on the severe straight-line winds component of the COMET Cooperative Project with Saint Louis University as well as involved with the Cooperative Institute for Precipitation Studies (CIPS). He was an organizer of the Bow Echo and Mesoscale Convective Vortex Experiment (BAMEX).
Przybylinski is a leading world expert on quasi-linear convective systems (QLCS), bow echoes, and mesoscale convective system
s, and convective winds and tornadogenesis
associated with these thunderstorm
structures. He intensively studied linear thunderstorms and their associated winds and tornadoes throughout the 1980s, writing a seminal paper in 1995. He is also a leading scientist on tornadoes in general and is on the NWS Quick Response Team (QRT), a group of experts who are rushed to assess damage from particularly damaging tornadoes.
Przybylinski has actively trained meteorologists, for example, participating heavily in the National Center for Atmospheric Research
COMET training (particularly on bow echoes), as well as mentoring and collaborating with university students, both graduate and undergraduate. He has published dozens of scientific papers and hundreds of conference presentations. He has served on the American Meteorological Society
Severe Local Storms Committee and as a Councilor of the National Weather Association
.
Bow echo
A bow echo is a term describing the characteristic radar return from a mesoscale convective system that is shaped like an archer’s bow. These systems can produce severe straight-line winds and occasionally tornadoes, causing major damage.-Research:...
es, mesovortices
Mesovortices
Mesovortices are small scale rotational features found in convective storms, such as those found in bow echos, supercell thunderstorms and the eyewall of tropical cyclones.-Eyewall mesovortices:...
, and quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
es.
Biography
Przybylinski was born near South Bend, IndianaSouth Bend, Indiana
The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...
.
He earned his B.S. and M.S. in meteorology at Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University is a private, co-educational Jesuit university located in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1818 by the Most Reverend Louis Guillaume Valentin Dubourg SLU is the oldest university west of the Mississippi River. It is one of 28 member institutions of the...
in 1977 and 1981, respectively. He worked as the station scientist at the Indianapolis
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
National Weather Service
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
office until 1991, when he moved to the St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
NWSFO as Science and Operations Officer. During the late 1980s he served as a project leader on the Operational Test and Evaluation of the WSR-88D Doppler radar
NEXRAD
NEXRAD or Nexrad is a network of 159 high-resolution Doppler weather radars operated by the National Weather Service, an agency of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration within the United States Department of Commerce...
. He is currently a principal investigator on the severe straight-line winds component of the COMET Cooperative Project with Saint Louis University as well as involved with the Cooperative Institute for Precipitation Studies (CIPS). He was an organizer of the Bow Echo and Mesoscale Convective Vortex Experiment (BAMEX).
Przybylinski is a leading world expert on quasi-linear convective systems (QLCS), bow echoes, and mesoscale convective system
Mesoscale Convective System
A mesoscale convective system is a complex of thunderstorms that becomes organized on a scale larger than the individual thunderstorms but smaller than extratropical cyclones, and normally persists for several hours or more...
s, and convective winds and tornadogenesis
Tornadogenesis
Tornadogenesis is the process by which a tornado forms. There are many types of tornadoes, and each type of tornado can have several different methods of formation. Scientific study is ongoing, as some aspects of tornado formation remain a mystery....
associated with these thunderstorm
Thunderstorm
A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm, a lightning storm, thundershower or simply a storm is a form of weather characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere known as thunder. The meteorologically assigned cloud type associated with the...
structures. He intensively studied linear thunderstorms and their associated winds and tornadoes throughout the 1980s, writing a seminal paper in 1995. He is also a leading scientist on tornadoes in general and is on the NWS Quick Response Team (QRT), a group of experts who are rushed to assess damage from particularly damaging tornadoes.
Przybylinski has actively trained meteorologists, for example, participating heavily in the National Center for Atmospheric Research
National Center for Atmospheric Research
The National Center for Atmospheric Research has multiple facilities, including the I. M. Pei-designed Mesa Laboratory headquarters in Boulder, Colorado. NCAR is managed by the nonprofit University Corporation for Atmospheric Research and sponsored by the National Science Foundation...
COMET training (particularly on bow echoes), as well as mentoring and collaborating with university students, both graduate and undergraduate. He has published dozens of scientific papers and hundreds of conference presentations. He has served on the American Meteorological Society
American Meteorological Society
The American Meteorological Society promotes the development and dissemination of information and education on the atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic sciences and the advancement of their professional applications. Founded in 1919, the American Meteorological Society has a membership...
Severe Local Storms Committee and as a Councilor of the National Weather Association
National Weather Association
The National Weather Association is an American professional association with a mission to support and promote excellence in operational meteorology and related activities...
.