Lucky winner of 'Weather Dance'will chase tornados

Updated 11:00 AM March 6, 2006

Lucky winner of 'Weather Dance'will chase tornados

By Laura Bailey
News Service

The NCAA basketball tournament, also known as The Big Dance, sets the stage for another kind of contest: The Weather Dance.

But in this competition during March Madness, you predict which competing campus will be hotter or cooler on the scheduled game date. Predictions have nothing to do with basketball—it's all about the weather.

"Basically, you're testing your weather forecasting skills," says Perry Samson, professor and associate chair of the Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Space Sciences Department, who designed the online weather tournament to get people across the country thinking about climate issues.

The winner of the online contest will be the guest of the University on a week-long tornado chase through "Tornado Alley" in Oklahoma and Texas.

"If the winner can come to Ann Arbor, we'll put them in the van with the other students and they can travel around the country in hopes of getting close, but not too close, to a good-sized storm," Samson says. The tornado chase is a yearly student project that includes students from Texas Tech University. While the dates have not been finalized, most likely the trip will occur in early June, Samson says.

The 2006 Weather Dance is simple and easy to play. After the NCAA completes the seeding for men's and women's tournaments, people can log on to the Weather Dance site and choose campuses.

The teams will be entered into the database within minutes of the NCAA seeding announcements, so people immediately can log on to begin to make their weather choices, Samson says. The warmer campuses move on to the second round, and so on.

If there is more than one winner, the department will hold a drawing to determine a final winner. There are 16 autographed books called "Extreme Weather," by Chris Burt, available as second prizes.

The NCAA has scheduled the seeding for the men March 12, and the women March 13. The men's tournament starts March 14 and the women's begins March 18.

The winning guest will eat, sleep, ride in the van and experience the terror and exhilaration of storm chasing right along with the students.

"They'll get the camaraderie, they'll ride in the van, they'll pitch tents, eat in dives and greasy spoons along with the students," Samson says.

The Weather Dance site is www.weatherdance.org. The site is ready, so users may log on to receive an e-mail when the brackets have been determined.

Lucky winner of 'Weather Dance'will chase tornados

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