Researchers hope thunderstorm data fuel better forecasts

A Central Michigan University-led team of researchers is one step closer to better understanding Lake Michigan’s impact on thunderstorm development in West Michigan.

The MITTEN-CI Project concluded a month of data collection from Lake Michigan’s coast to as far inland as Lansing at the end of July. The 37-person team consists of faculty and students from five universities nationwide with Jason Keeler, assistant professor of meteorology at CMU, at its helm.

“By better understanding the process of thunderstorms developing, it allows us to make better forecasts,” said Keeler. “Ultimately, the way that the public will benefit from this is through improved predictability of thunderstorm development in coastal areas.”

For the 28 students involved in the project, including CMU junior Dominic Cannonnito, it has added benefits beyond the result.

“There’s just a ton of instrumentation that I got to work hands-on with and it’s been a great experience for me to learn a new skillset that I previously did not have,” he said. “I am making so many connections that I’m going to have for the rest of my life. Just meeting people that are going to be in the field, in my generation, for the next decades of my life - having that foundation now is going to help me in the future, in my life and my career.”

With the initial data collected, Keeler says the team will spend the next few years analyzing the data to better understand the processes of thunderstorm development.

The MITTEN-CI project is backed by $2.5 million in support from the U.S. National Science Foundation.