On Wednesday, December 6, the TABC Scholars program hosted guest scholar and professional meteorologist Ariel Schabes. TABC Scholars is a two-year program during which students identify and master a field of intellectual study that appeals to them by researching and presenting an in-depth project in that discipline, with faculty guidance and outside mentorship.

As the students enjoyed EJs pizza, Mr. Schabes spoke to them about his own research journey along a path that piqued his curiosity when he was young, and the research skills and knowledge he gained along the way. He discussed the importance of math and physics in his studies, and the ways in which computer programming and modeling assisted him in achieving his career goals.

Mr. Schabes told many fascinating stories about launching weather balloons across the globe and using them to monitor atmospheric conditions. He also spoke about the challenges he faced working in a field that is not so Shabbos-friendly nor a common Orthodox Jewish profession, and how he navigated them to become a successful meteorologist. The students left with a greater appreciation of what it means to make research-based predictions in a field filled with uncertainty, and the plethora of data that the public has at its fingertips that can be used to predict the weather. And most importantly, they now know whether or not tomorrow will be a snow day. A great time was had by all!