Because our group is made up of three meteorologists our ideas for our GIS based research naturally favored weather based ideas, so it was only right that our eventual idea coincided with this recent massive snow storm which; being almost record breaking; was also a ton of fun for college kids throughout. Snow is often a fickle thing, loved by some yet hated by others, however whenever anyone hears when a snow storm is approaching they always ask “how much snow is going to fall?” using our research and some of the precipitation data we have available to us we plan on making a sort of precipitation map. This map will help us show and determine why and how noreasters and clippers differ. The data will also hopefully show why and how mountains and elevation in general may effect snowfall. Using this research it may help us not only to understand and show people (and hopefully explain to them) why exactly these storms occur but also hopefully show how complex these events are and explain to the general public how many variables there are in making such a massive winter event occur. GIS is used all the time by professional meteorologists to map things like tornado paths, rainfall data, and flood data to help organize things into interesting graphics. It is a quickly growing field that geographers and meteorologists alike need to embrace and learn how to use before it becomes a common staple in every workplace.

Virginia Tech. Office of Geographical Information Systems and Remote Sensing