When: Monday, February 5. Doors open at 5:30PM. Presentation begins at 6PM.
Where: We’ll meet in the Turkey Red Banquet Room.
Is registration required? No, but registration is greatly appreciated. It helps us ensure we have enough seats staged for this event! Pre-registration also provides the ability to make a donation in advance of the event. Attendees are also able to make cash donations at speaker event.
Cost to attend: Our speaker series are donation-based/pay what you can events. We do not want cost to be a barrier for community members to attend; however, we do incur expenses to offer these events. If you are financially able to contribute, donations are greatly appreciated. Funds collected help offset event expenses.
About the presentation: Almost everyone has an opinion about weather forecasts, usually a negative one. Why are they so often wrong– or are they? It can’t be that hard– or can it? Dig a little deeper with atmospheric scientist Peter Olsson for a taste of what goes into modern weather prediction. Learn why it can be so frustrating for forecasters and forecast consumers alike. A Q&A session will follow the forecast presentation. Bring your favorite weather stories, questions and some curiosity for an engaging discussion.
About Peter Olsson: Dr. Peter Olsson, born and raised in the Black Hills of South Dakota, is retired from the UA system where he was a professor of atmospheric science. As graduate students, Peter and his wife Ute met and married in Fort Collins, CO in 1992. Upon graduation from Colorado State University, with life in the regular world looming large, the Olssons decided that they wanted to settle somewhere west of the Missouri River. At that point they had not even considered Alaska– which is indeed well west of the Missouri.
As luck would have it, a faculty position opened at UAF's Geophysical Institute (research) and Physics Department (teaching). One of Peter’s research colleagues– a UAF alumnus in snow studies– told the couple, “You guys would just love Alaska. You would fit right in.” Peter and Ute interviewed in the Spring of 1996 and relocated to Fairbanks that fall with their two children. (Yes, at UAF they interview the spouses of prospective hires as well– to make sure they know just what they are getting into!)
Three years and one more kid later, the Olssons relocated to the Eagle River Valley when Peter became the founding chief scientist of the Alaska Experimental Forecast Facility (AEFF) at UAA. In 2004, Peter was additionally appointed to the position of Alaska state climatologist. His work with the AEFF focused on developing and adapting high-resolution numerical weather prediction models and tools for use in sub-arctic regions such as southern Alaska. He retired in 2017.
With kids out of the house, Peter and Ute moved north a bit. They now live a low-impact lifestyle in a dry cabin in Fishhook, where they tend seven laying hens and three guard cats. Peter’s current research interests include the microphysics of clouds, complex systems theory, the effects of mountains on regional precipitation and wind processes, numerical weather prediction, and atmospheric fluid dynamics.
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What is the winter speaker series? Revel is hosting monthly educational lectures/presentations November 2023 through April 2024. Each month features a different topic with the goal of connecting locals to the area where they live.
Our goal? We hope the series helps spark curiosity and encourages locals to ask questions, continue learning and build community. If you have any questions about this event, the speaker series or have ideas for future presentations, please call us 907-903-1664.