Forecast to field: Purdue class turns storms into a living laboratory

09-10-2025

The 2025 SPOTTR class in front of a non-severe storm near Spotted Horse, WY. (Picture provided by/Robin Tanamachi)

The Students of Purdue Observing Tornadic Thunderstorms for Research (SPOTTR) course, officially listed as EAPS 43500: Severe Storms Field Work, takes students beyond the classroom and into the Great Plains for a week of hands-on experience with severe weather. SPOTTR blends fieldwork with active learning, career exploration, and the use of professional meteorological instruments, giving students the skills to forecast, track, and study storms.

This year marked the eighth group of the class, co-created by Purdue University’s Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Science professors Robin Tanamachi and Daniel Dawson. Lecturer Maxim Couillard co-taught SPOTTR with Prof. Tanamachi for the first time this year. The four-week course ended in a 3,400-mile road trip across 11 states from June 29 to July 5. While the group did not witness tornadoes this season, they connected their forecasts and real-time atmospheric measurements to the evolving storm structures they encountered.

The 2025 SPOTTR trip map displays 3,442 miles of driving. (Graphic by/Paige Helfrich)

"We felt a need for the students to get out of the classroom and into the real world and see storms happening in real life, as opposed to just on video or on a phone," said Tanamachi. "Students are expected to take the knowledge they've gained in the classroom about severe thunderstorm forecasting and safely observing storms, and then immediately apply it in the real world."

Each student played an active role. Teams delivered daily weather briefings that guided the group's travel, deployed research-grade radiosondes, and kept detailed storm journals to verify forecasts. "There's a very short disconnect between the time that they learn those skills and the time that they're out in the field applying them," Tanamachi said. "That helps consolidate that knowledge in their minds."

“Being able to answer a student’s question about the radar imagery on their phone by simply looking up and pointing to a part of the storm was a deeply fulfilling experience as a teacher, as well as highly memorable for the students,” said Maxim Couillard. 

Students are enjoying a slow-moving storm northwest of Gillette, Wyoming. (Picture provided by/Maxim Couillard)

For many students, the experience was transformative. Student Paige Helfrich said, "When all of our forecasting and what we see on the radar comes together into a storm that we're chasing, you kind of get that little adrenaline rush. To bring the science into real life is just a full-circle moment."

Graduate student Morgan Siers agreed, noting the combination of instrumentation and camaraderie. "This is a group of people that are all very enthusiastic about what they're doing, and that is lovely to see. As a grad student, I'm simulating supercells for a living, so being able to sit myself down in front of these storms is a very unique and awe-inspiring experience."

Beyond the thrill of seeing storms up close, the course is also about professional preparation. "I wanted to be in a field that not only interested me and challenged me, but also where I could help people," Helfrich said. "SPOTTR is a great way of fueling that."

The class attracts students from across Purdue's disciplines, not just meteorology. Student Willow Wilson, who plans to commission into the Air Force, said, "I'm really excited to learn more about forecasting storms and how to chase safely. Forecasting has come a long way, but there's a lot of improvements that we can still make, and I'm excited to be a part of that."

For others, the course rekindled childhood passions. Student Lauren Grose said, "Five-year-old me would be so happy. You spend so much time in a classroom with your face stuck in a book, but when you actually get to go out and see why you're doing what you're doing, it makes a huge difference."

SPOTTR students also contribute to the broader meteorological community. The class maintains a direct line to the National Weather Service, sharing data, photographs, and observations in real time. This hands-on contribution helps fill observational gaps left by satellites and radar, affirming the course's dual role as both an educational and scientific endeavor.

Students gathering data in front of a storm in Nebraska. (Picture provided by/Maxim Couillard)

Tanamachi said the program thrives because of Purdue's support, as well as outside generosity. "This course is an expensive course to run, but the impacts really justify the cost," she said. "This year, we actually got an anonymous donation that really helped make a difference in our budget and allowed us more flexibility with where we stayed and what kind of vehicles we could rent."

After returning to campus, students spent the final week analyzing the data they collected, comparing forecasts to real-world outcomes, and refining their forecasting techniques. The cycle from classroom to field to reflection ensures lessons are reinforced.

For Tanamachi, it remains one of the highlights of teaching at Purdue. "I love just seeing the students light up when they're in front of a real storm, experiencing it with all of their senses," she said. "Being able to engage with a storm in real life is a completely different educational experience, and that's why I keep doing it."

The SPOTTR course is supported by Purdue's Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences and private donations. Updates and highlights can be found on the course's Bluesky account, @eaps-spottr.bsky.social.

 

About the Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences at Purdue University

The Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences (EAPS) combines four of Purdue's most interdisciplinary programs: Geology & Geophysics, Environmental Sciences, Atmospheric Sciences, and Planetary Sciences. EAPS conducts world-class research, educates undergraduate and graduate students, and provides our college, university, state and country with the information necessary to understand the world and universe around us. Our research is globally recognized, our students are highly valued by graduate schools, employers, and our alumni continue to make significant contributions in academia, industry, and federal and state government.

Written by: David Siple, communications specialist, Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences (EAPS) at Purdue University.