January 17, 2025: An American Haboob – Causes & Trends of Dust Storms in Arizona

Eyad Atallah, Ph.D., is a life-long weather enthusiast with a varied background including operational forecasting, television, as well as academia. He specializes in the synoptic analysis of extreme weather events and climate change. Eyad has authored over thirty peer-reviewed publications on extra-tropical transition, extreme precipitation events, droughts in western North America, and the impacts of climate change on temperature regimes over North America.

Eyad has instructed several classes, ranging from large introductory survey classes to specialized graduate classes in topics including climate change, operational forecasting, as well as synoptic and mesoscale dynamics. In 2015, he was awarded the McGill University Principal’s Prize for excellence in teaching in the category of faculty lecturer and was selected as the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society’s tour speaker in 2012.

In the winter of 2011-2012, Eyad led an outreach mission to aboriginal communities in northern Canada, consulting with community elders and students as to the expected outcomes of climate change and helped lead discussions on adaptation and mitigation strategies. He has recently started consulting with regional stakeholders on impacts from the North American Monsoon. He also helps author a daily blog on Monsoon forecasts over the summer. Finally, Eyad is an intermittent tornado-chaser and has participated in 10 tornado chases, including leading two storm-chasing field courses.

Some scenes from out January 17 meeting.