SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Maj. Chris Higgins and Lt. Col. Laura Madden, 12th Operational Weather Flight, explains their weather prediction roles to civilian employers visiting Scott Air Force Base, Illinois on October 13, 2018. The event was Boss Day and employers were the guests.
They learned that the Air Force has always been the backup agency for the Storm Prediction Center (SPC). Historically, it was on May 1, 2009 that the mission came to the 15th Operational Weather Squadron.
The SPC handed off support to Airmen like Maj. Higgins on 26 March that year, and even though SPC has a lot of other weather speciality products they produce, the ones that 12 OWF are in charge of are the convective outlooks days and weather watches. SPC is located in Norman, Oklahoma, so if they ever have to shelter for a tornado the Storm Prediction Center backup team is called in to take over.
Maj. Higgins spent time on the phones with weather managers in various states during the event. Boss Day showed off various areas of the 932nd Airlift Wing and Scott Air Force Base. (U.S. Air Force photo by Lt. Col. Stan Paregien)