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Stephanie E. Zick

@sezick.bsky.social
2.7K followers 629 following 100 posts

Associate Professor #VirginiaTech studying tropical cyclones. Alum #UFGeog #psumeteo & #RUMeteorology. Pittsburgh native. Run, hike, swim #RecoveryIsPossible

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Stephanie E. Zick @sezick.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Score! Blacksburg split the uprights again! (or is that not the goal when we're in drought?!)
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Stephanie E. Zick @sezick.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
👱‍♀️🎸
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Costa Samaras @costasamaras.com · 17/05/2026
Read Danny’s thread up and down here for a summary of the RCP8.5 issue.
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Andrew Dessler @andrewdessler.com · 27/04/2026
Can confirm: The present administration is destroying U.S. science. The U.S. will be a diminished country because of this. A great piece by @thorbenson.bsky.social Killing the golden goose madness.ghost.io/killing-the-...
madness.ghost.io
Killing the golden goose
Donald Trump has done massive damage to America's science and innovation engine. We need to reverse course.
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Mark Ellinwood @markellinwood.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Change from 4 weeks ago (hint: bad)
Drought severity change in the past four weeks.
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Robb Willer @robbwiller.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
For a short, public-facing overview of implications for talking about climate change across political divides, @woods.stanford.edu has a helpful explainer here: woods.stanford.edu/news/how-talk-about-climate-change-across-political-divides
woods.stanford.edu
How to talk about climate change across political divides
As climate impacts intensify while political progress remains stalled, new Stanford research examines which messages can shift public beliefs across partisan divides and strengthen climate communicati...
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Stephanie E. Zick @sezick.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
My partner is in the back left. Proud of him and thankful for all the scientists who took the time and made the effort to advocate for science funding. If you see this from home today, you can still call your members of Congress today or later this week. There are scripts here: agu.quorum.us/home/
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Stephanie E. Zick @sezick.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
Hope you have a great time! Are you mainly trying to attend track and field or other sports too?
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Stephanie E. Zick @sezick.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
During event finals, our seats were in the athlete section, and we were near the athletes from China and Romania who didn't qualify. It was memorable.
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Stephanie E. Zick @sezick.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
For Atlanta '96, my mom scalped the tickets to Women's Gymnastics. Literally. She found someone online, coordinated via email (or message board?), brought buttloads of cash from PIT to ATL, and made the exchange in a back alley in Atlanta. My mom is a real stickler for rules so it's kinda hilarious.
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Aaron Clauset @aaronclauset.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
tl;dr: NIH is running at about 60% of pre-Trump levels and NSF is running at about 20% of pre-Trump levels of funding-outlays (some directorates far below even that). Utterly catastrophic. An unforced disaster for U.S. society, and the world
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Michael Fischer @mikefischerwx.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
Interested in hurricanes? I want to introduce TC-ATLAS: the Tropical Cyclone Analysis Tool for Live and Archived Structure. Explore live or past storms without writing a line of code or downloading a data file, building on the capabilities of TC-RADAR: michaelfischerwx.github.io/TC-ATLAS/ind...
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Daniel Lloveras @danllovewx.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
📣 Calling all WRF/MPAS users! @ams-waf.bsky.social is hosting a webinar in a couple weeks about the ongoing transition from WRF to MPAS for regional modeling throughout the community. Please join to hear the perspectives from our fabulous panelists! Register here: ametsoc.org/WebinarWRFMPAS
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Stephanie E. Zick @sezick.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
Yeah, it moved through so much earlier. Model forecasts showed uncertainty in timing but it was faster earlier than the ens mean. In hindsight, heavy rain and flooded roadways were more impt to message in VA. And the quick shot of snow that ended up delaying/closing schools.
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Jennifer N. Victor @jenvictor.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
The US is no longer classified a liberal democracy. The special section on the USA, (pp. 33-38) is required reading, especially if you are an elected legislator or member of the judiciary. Reversing the democracy decline requires resistance from legislative and judicial branches. Demand democracy.
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Stephanie E. Zick @sezick.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
Yeah, this is what I meant for people who build their self worth through their metrics. This is incentivized in academia so there is a cultural/workplace factor. I don't care much about my metrics (it helps that I have tenure). My favepart of my job is advising, so I want to continue doing that!
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Stephanie E. Zick @sezick.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
My sense: some (often pre-tenure) faculty feel so much pressure to publish that they are using AI “for efficiency.” Others build their self worth through their grant funding and h index. These is some overlap, some faculty dapple, but those two groups are embracing AI in their research and writing.
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Stephanie E. Zick @sezick.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
Similar for me. One was a WWII vet on disability, and the other was (also a WWII vet) and a steel worker afterwards. Both had mental health issues and died before I was born.
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David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
Congress has appropriated the funds to NSF but OMB is delaying the release. When funds are released, NSF, which has lost almost 1/5 of its staff, will struggle to evaluate proposals. Since they have to award the funds, big projects with established PIs will benefit. This is how US science dies.
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Julia Azari @juliaazari.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
Sometimes I wonder what my motivation is at this stage in my career. And it's this. Making sure small-minded men die mad about my inclusion. And propping the door open for as many smart and kind people as I can.
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Eos @eos.org · 13/02/2026
On a busy day for science policy, it looks like oversight and operations of NCAR’s supercomputing center are transitioning to a third-party operator. www.nsf.gov/news/transit... Lean more about the costs of dismantling NCAR with this opinion from @carlonimbus.bsky.social.
eos.org
What Americans Lose If Their National Center for Atmospheric Research Is Dismantled - Eos
Five ways dismantling NCAR will cost the American people, and two ways to save it.
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Stephanie E. Zick @sezick.bsky.social · 07/02/2026
Thanks for the recap! I’m really sad that I didn’t get to meet you and everyone on the panel in person.
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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
5/9
A line graph of the number of NSF awards for 2021-2026 for the Directorate of Geosciences.
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Climatologist49 @climatologist49.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
How cold has this winter been so far? The first 2/3 of winter 2025-26 is the 7th warmest on record for the Contiguous U.S.
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Stephanie E. Zick @sezick.bsky.social · 01/02/2026
I personally believe that if GHGs led to global cooling, we would have fixed the problem already.
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Stephanie E. Zick @sezick.bsky.social · 31/01/2026
Scenes from a snowy run in Blacksburg this morning
Group of runners on a cold morningPicture of an Igloo on VT campus Group of people inside an igloo
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Stephanie E. Zick @sezick.bsky.social · 31/01/2026
Our public school has been open 12 days since 12/19 too, but with illnesses, our child has had 6.5 days of school. We also had a lot of snow days in December.
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Stephanie E. Zick @sezick.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
It looks relatively warm there 😁
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Kelsey Britt @drkelsbritt.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
Want to learn about a new composite parameter for forecasting QLCS tornadoes? Come to my #AMS2026 talk at 2:00 pm in 381A! You can also read the journal article about this work at: journals.ametsoc.org/view/journal...
journals.ametsoc.org
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Stephanie E. Zick @sezick.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
Another image showing the thick layer of sleet on top of snow in Blacksburg
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Stephanie E. Zick @sezick.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
Wow, I’ve been outside now, and we have almost 2 inches of sleet on top of the snow here in Blacksburg. Sleet has 2-1 or 3-1 ratio to liquid (rain). That’s a lot of wintry precipitation!
Picture of wintry precipitation scene in Blacksburg VA, with a gloved hand holding a thick layer of sleet.
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Stephanie E. Zick @sezick.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
Atmospheric sounding for Blacksburg, VA on Saturday evening, January 25, 2026.
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Stephanie E. Zick @sezick.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
I noticed a lot of needles mixed in with the more classic snowflake (dendrite) in last night's snow here in Blacksburg. Model and observed soundings show a similar picture with a cold surface, temperatures mainly between 0 and -10°C within the cloud, and a lackluster dendritic growth zone.
Two images are shown. There is an atmospheric sounding for Blacksburg, VA from Saturday evening on the left and a graphic showing ice and snow habits on the right.
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Daniel Swain @weatherwest.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
Attention folks in the weather, climate, disaster, wildfire, and Earth science communities: NSF has just published a new "Dear Colleague" letter inviting feedback (by Mar 13) on the proposal to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). www.nsf.gov/funding/...
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Casey Davenport @cedavenportwx.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
Are you an undergraduate student interested in gaining research experience this summer? If so, please consider applying to the Research Experiences and Mentorship in Urban Systems (REMUS) program at UNC Charlotte! We are a multidisciplinary REU program that explores many facets of urban science!
Flyer for the REMUS program that shows the priority deadline for applications of February 8, 2026. The REMUS program will happen May 26 - July 31, 2026. Contact proj-remus@charlotte.edu with questions!
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Kerry Cook @kerrycook.bsky.social · 20/12/2025
From @AGU.org: Senators are working on legislation to save NCAR, but we need extra support for these 8 states. Your Senators in Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Texas, and Wyoming need to hear from you.
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Matt Lanza @mattlanza.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
I've got thoughts.
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Alan Gerard @wxmanms1.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
WTAF?! Also, for the love of God, can we not refer to NCAR As a “climate lab?” It does a hell of a lot more than just climate.
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Alan Gerard @wxmanms1.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
The webpage for the agency responsible for disaster management in this country still lists as its director a guy who resigned a month ago, and shows 6 of the other 9 senior positions as vacant. This is emblematic of the situation at FEMA, and we better wake up about it. tinyurl.com/yc5d9uch
tinyurl.com
The chaos at FEMA gets even deeper - and we should all be concerned
Lack of mission clarity, lack of leadership, and battles with the states are all leading to a federal emergency management agency that looks unable to manage itself, let alone emergencies.
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Clark Evans @clarkevanswx.github.io · 20/11/2025
The @dtc-community.bsky.social just released a new call for visitor program proposals targeted at early-career scientists and grad students. The focus is on advancing hierarchical system development principles for NOAA’s modeling systems (which can include MPAS)! dtcenter.org/visitor-prog...
dtcenter.org
Announcement of Opportunity - Special Call | dtcenter.org
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Lawrence Culver @lawrencecphd.bsky.social · 15/11/2025
“The storm hit rural Jamaica hardest – people who are poorest, least protected, and historically marginalised. The same communities shaped by slavery, colonial extraction, and racialised policies are now on the frontline of climate disaster.” www.theguardian.com/news/2025/no...
theguardian.com
Hurricane Melissa a ‘real-time case study’ of colonialism’s legacies
Destruction in Jamaica shows why climate justice cannot be separated from reparatory justice, campaigners say
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Dr. Robin Tanamachi 🌪️ @tornatrix.bsky.social · 28/10/2025
Echoing colleagues: Think before you (re)post. #Melissa is about to impact a relatively poor part of Jamaica. I doubt we will know the true extent of the devastation for days or weeks. Information vacuums fill with disinformation. Expect a lot of “breaking wind” on SM. Map source: World Bank
Map of Jamaica showing percentage of population living in poverty in 2012, which is minimal near the coasts (a few %) and maximized in the hilly interior (~40%). There isn’t even a major highway running that far west. Map source: https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/236781584080916414
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Philippe Papin @pppapin.bsky.social · 28/10/2025
#Melissa's landfall intensity of 185 mph/892 mb ties it with the Florida Key's Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 as the record minimum pressure of any TC making landfall *anywhere* the NATL basin. I feel for the residents of #Jamaica 😞 Zoomed in G19 visible meso loop courtesy of @cyclonicwx.bsky.social
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Dr. Jeff Masters @drjeffmasters.bsky.social · 28/10/2025
The western end of Jamaica where #Melissa is projected to make landfall has the least well-built structures of anyplace on the island. Graphic is from a 2021 paper, "Poverty and hurricane risk exposure in Jamaica": www.researchgate.net/publication/...
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Stephanie E. Zick @sezick.bsky.social · 28/10/2025
During an event like this a couple of years ago, I decided to become a sustaining member. Highly recommend to anybody who uses Levi’s website regularly! www.patreon.com/cw/Tropicalt...
patreon.com
Tropical Tidbits | Patreon
Creating weather visualizations and hurricane forecast videos
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National Hurricane Center @nhc-atlantic.extwitter.link · 27/10/2025
Hurricane #Melissa Advisory 24: Melissa Now a Category 5 Hurricane. Destructive Winds and Storm Surge and Catastrophic Flooding Will Worsen On Jamaica Through the Day and Into Tonight. hurricanes.gov
hurricanes.gov
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Stephanie E. Zick @sezick.bsky.social · 26/10/2025
This is something we cover in week 1-2 of atmospheric thermo by exploring soundings from the tropics, midlats and poles. The tropical tropopause is higher and colder than it is in other locations. And this is a pretty iconic example!
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Kevin Ash @scatterazure.bsky.social · 13/10/2025
*** JOB OPPORTUNITY AT UNIV OF FLORIDA IN GIS ***
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Dr. Robin Tanamachi 🌪️ @tornatrix.bsky.social · 08/10/2025
While I’m at the UCAR Member’s meeting, I’m reminding everyone of the internships, workshops, and other student opportunities that they have available! www.ucar.edu/exhibit/stud...
ucar.edu
Exhibit resources | University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
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