Frequently Asked Questions About Our Services
 

Who needs a Weather Expert and Why?

What is a Certified Consulting Meteorologist? 

What is Forensic Meteorology?

Who needs a Weather Expert and Why?
Anyone involved in a weather-related accident, claim, or litigation can greatly benefit from the services of a weather expert, specifically, a forensic meteorologist.  A forensic meteorologist determines the weather conditions that most likely occurred at a specific time and location as they relate to the claim or litigation. 

A weather expert can save you time in searching for weather data, researching what data you need and determining what data is available for the particular time and location.  A weather expert will obtain all of the weather data for you and, in most cases, will be able to obtain a more comprehensive data set than you would be able to obtain. 

Most weather observations are collected at major airports and cities.  Weather-related accidents can (and do) occur anywhere.  The problem of not having weather observations close to the incident site is very common.  Forensic meteorologists track down and obtain 'hard to find' weather data.  In some cases, data are very limited, so the meteorologist can interpolate weather data from several locations to determine the most likely weather conditions for the subject time and location. 

Standard weather observations at airports and other major weather stations usually provide the basic meteorological variables: temperature, barometric pressure, relative humidity, wind speed & direction, precipitation, clouds, and visibility.  Forensic meteorologists can obtain and analyze additional weather information from a variety of other sources, such as weather radar stations, lightning detectors, and weather satellites.  The combination of data from various sources allows the forensic meteorologist to develop a comprehensive picture of the weather conditions that are relevant to the issues of the litigation or claim. 

CCC's weather experts have many years of experience, and specialize in forensic meteorology.  CCC provides a full-time staff of weather experts who are dedicated to the advancement of the science of meteorology and climatology and providing the best possible service to clients. 

What is a Certified Consulting Meteorologist?

The meteorologists of CCC are Certified Consulting Meteorologists who are board-certified by the American Meteorological Society (AMS) to provide consulting services.  The AMS has a web page that describes all aspects of the Certified Consulting Meteorologist Program. 

So to have all your questions answered just click below... 
History of the CCM Program 
CCM Certification Program by the AMS
 

What is Forensic Meteorology?

Forensic meteorology is the application of atmospheric science to litigation and insurance claims. Forensic meteorologists provide retrospective weather analyses and expert opinions for litigation, claims and other disputes in which weather was a factor. 

While most people are familiar with the "TV weatherman" and think of meteorology in terms of forecasts, the field of meteorology is much broader than that.  Meteorology is an interdisciplinary science involving the physics, chemistry, composition and motion of the atmosphere as it interacts with the surface of the earth and the near-space environment.  The ability to perform and present a credible investigation of past weather events requires a meteorologist with substantial education, training and experience.

Weather is a factor in many events involving damages or injuries and its retrospective analysis is a part of the litigation process where the injury or damage is the basis of the lawsuit. 

A forensic meteorologist can assist  attorneys in obtaining, analyzing, and interpreting the appropriate and relevant weather data for their case.  A forensic meteorologist will: 
 

• Select and acquire the weather data records  (including observations, forecasts, advisories, radar images, satellite data,  etc.) 
• Interpret and analyze the weather records  (also an investigation of the site of loss or injury may be needed) 
• Generate investigative or analytical reports 
• Provide credible expert testimony  (describe the actual weather events for the benefit of the court) 

 
Most forensic meteorologists are in the private sector.  Federal Government employees from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Weather Service (NWS) are usually prohibited from providing testimony in litigation not involving the United States. 

Claims and litigation may involve, either directly or indirectly, the impact of storms, snow, ice,  floods, lightning, hail, reduced visibilities, noise propagation, hurricanes, tornadoes, or other weather extremes.