Weather can affect our daily lives in so many ways. A business owner can count on the weather to bring customers in, or at times keep them away. A ski resort may do very well downwind of Lake Erie at higher altitudes, while a vineyard may benefit more from the lower elevation and moderate temperatures close to Lake Ontario along our famous Niagara Wine Trail. Many Western New York farmers utilize our Great Lakes climate to grow crops that would not do so well away from the early and late season nighttime heat sources that are Lakes Erie and Ontario. Our many successful wineries and orchards are notable evidence of that benefit. Our belief is that the amazingly complex microclimates across Western New York serve as the perfect motivation to make this the home of the WWC. There is simply no greater place to forecast or study weather.
What it comes down to, is that the STEM movement can and will be a major factor in future manufacturing, food production and health care advances just to name a few. We want our visitors to become active members of the growing STEM coalition. They come to us as willing learners, and leave as active participants. Science and technology allow us to simulate real life weather situations, while engineering and mathematics allow us to develop better structures and improve safety for our citizens. Continuing participation can range from collecting and reporting data, to creating projects and presentations in an effort to share information among WNY schools and businesses, as well as across the globe. All this can be done while coordinating together to develop ideas for a more climate friendly future. The ultimate success of our species is predicated on our ability to adjust for our very specific local climates, especially as they inevitably change, and use our knowledge to provide adequate food, shelter, infrastructure and relevant jobs for our citizens.
