Courtesy of Mad WX
Audio By Carbonatix
Bad weather ruins everything: weddings, parties, good hair days. But a select few actually enjoy Mother Nature’s worst. If you get hyped over a haboob or jump at the chance to see a monsoon in action, then Monsoon Con 2017 is definitely for you.
The free event brings together Arizona weather professionals, storm chasers, and weather enthusiasts for a day of storm chasing tips, discussions, and general geeking out about extreme weather, especially monsoons. Each year, the members of MadWX, a group of Arizona storm chasers, invite weather specialists like media meteorologists to storm chasers to provide insight to other weather heads about the monsoon.
A speaker at last year’s Monsoon Con.
Courtesy of Mad WX
This year speakers include Daniel Henz, a meteorologist who works in the Flood Control District of Maricopa County; John Henz, a certified consulting meteorologist; Mike Leuthold, the manager of the Regional Weather Modeling Program; John Sirlin, a storm chaser, and nature photographer; and Ken Waters, a warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
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The event will be held at New City Church on Saturday, June 17. Doors open at 9:30 a.m., and the event starts promptly at 10. The majority of the convention will involve talks from the speakers, and the program will conclude with a showcase of the best storm-chasing videos from last year’s monsoon season. According to event organizers, there will also be a tribute to Mad WX member Corbin Jaeger, who was killed in a car accident while chasing a storm in Texas.
Here’s the full schedule for the event:
9:30 a.m.: Doors open
10-10:15 a.m.: Welcome
10:15-11 a.m.: Tribute to Corbin Jaeger
11-11:15 a.m.: Break/Vendor Booths
11:15 a.m.-noon: Storm-chaser John Sirlin
Noon to 1 p.m.: Lunch
1-1:45 p.m.: University of Arizona Meteorologist Mike Leuthold
1:45-2 p.m.: Break/Vendor Booths
2-2:45 p.m.: Flood Control District Meteorologist Daniel Henz
2:45-3 p.m.: Break/Vendor Booths
3-3:45 p.m.: Certified Consulting Meteorologist John Henz
3:45-4:30 p.m.: NWS Phoenix Meteorologist Ken Waters
4:30-4:45 p.m.: Closing
4:45 to 6 p.m. – Storm Chasing Video Showcase
This event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit the Monsoon Con website.