Kenneth F. Dewey
Hi, I’m Ken Dewey, and I’m a professor of climatology in the School of Natural Resources. I’m also regional climatologist with the High Plains Regional Climate Center, a subunit of the School.
My main research and outreach interests are in severe storm climatology, climate variations, snow and ice studies and drought impacts. My primary outreach activity is to bring information on severe weather and related safety tips to the public to help them survive the storms. I do a large amount of this through information posted on various web sites and through the Central Plains Severe Weather Symposium, a free public event that draws up to 3,000 people to hear storm experts and see many weather-related presentations and displays. I also do numerous interviews with the media and make public presentations across the state.
I maintain and produce the content for the Nebraska Weather and Climate web site at the High Plains Regional Climate Center. This is a location that offers timely regional weather information, so the public can keep up to date on droughts, major weather events and trends, etc. and make better decisions related to weather and climate. Storm reports and numerous weather-related photo galleries are some of its most popular products. I produce content for various web sites that receive more than 12 million visits per year.
I am also monitoring the on-going drought in Nebraska and the western United States, delivering the latest information on the magnitude and trend of the current drought. This drought is severely affecting the agricultural community and water resources across much of the western part of the country.
In addition, I give presentations across the state to numerous public groups on weather-related topics. My “Weather in the Classroom” workshop is a 2½-day workshop that brings hands-on activities to K-12 science teachers across the state. With several partners (The Weather Channel, NASA, etc.), I help provide teachers with free resources they can use in their classrooms to teach weather science. I also do annual “storm chasing” with students each spring and am the advisor to the UNL student meteorology club.
I’ve been at UNL since 1973 and received my bachelor’s from Elmhurst (Ill.) College in 1969, my master’s from Northern Illinois University in 1970 and my Ph.D. from the University of Toronto in 1973.
Personnel Information
| Name | Ken F. Dewey |
| University Title | Professor |
| Address | 715 Hardin Hall, Lincoln NE 68583-0987 |
| Phone | 402-472-2908 |
| Fax | 402-472-2946 |
| kdewey1@unl.edu | |
| Related Websites | http://www.hprcc.unl.edu/nebraska/ |
Go to Ken's Full Profile
Key Publications
- Dewey, K. F. 2001. Climate and the West. Journal of the West.pp. 6-9.
- Dewey, K.F. 2001. Weather of the West. Journal of the West. pp. 31-38.
- Dewey, K. F. 2001. Weather in the West (volume editor). Journal of the West. 40(3).
- Dewey, K.F. and S. Meyer. 2000. Active Learning in Introductory Climatology. Journal of College Science Teaching. 29:265-272.
- Leathers, D.J., M.A. Palecki, D.A. Robinson, and K.F. Dewey. 1998. A climatology of the daily temperature range annual cycle in the United States. Climate Research. 9:197-211.
- Dewey, K. 1996. The Weather and Climate of Nebraska. NEBRASKALand Magazine. p. 138
