16 February 2023

The Secret Behind Severe Thunderstorm Watch #33

Posted by Dan Satterfield

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch Wednesday afternoon, but this one was special. Severe Thunderstorm Watch #33 for parts of Oklahoma and North Texas was issued by NOAA’s Elizabeth Leitman. It was the FIRST NOAA watch issued by a woman at the SPC.

Elizabeth Leitman has wanted to have this job since she was in middle school. Atmospheric physics is hard, but she did it and I think it deserves some notice!

All I can say is you go girl!

Here is her post on Twitter about it:


When I was an undergraduate almost all of my fellow meteorology students were guys. There were a few women, and over the years I have seen the numbers steadily rise, both in NOAA and among those of us who do broadcast meteorology. It should have happened LONG before now, but it has happened.