There are three types of student programs here at NWS Buffalo:

• Paid Employment
• Student Volunteer
• Job Shadow

Paid Employment 

There are two Student Employment Programs which provide employment opportunities to students who are enrolled or accepted for enrollment as degree seeking students taking at least a half-time academic, technical, or vocational course load in an accredited high school, technical, vocational, 2 or 4-year college or university, graduate or professional school. The programs are:

1. the Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP)
2. the Student Career Experience Program (SCEP).

Please see the U.S. Deptartment of Commerce Office of Human Resources Managment for more information regarding these programs.

These positions are filled on a competitive basis at a Regional NWS level. The existence and/or number of positions varies from year to year (primarily due to budget considerations).  The locations of positions also varies, and it is not known from year to year whether a position will exist at NWS Buffalo. 

Student Volunteer

NWS Buffalo's Student Volunteer Program is designed for students nearing the completion of their undergraduate studies, or in a graduate level degree program in meteorology, atmospheric science or hydrology. Here are some of the details of the program:

• The program generally will last 3 months. The first three weeks are dedicated to shadow shifts and other basic training within our operations area, some online coursework, and observing a radiosonde (balloon) launch. The next several weeks are devoted to a small research project or helping out with various tasks within the office such as updating various databases and/or webpages. The last few weeks are set aside for writing up a summary of your experiences and a write-up of any completed or ongoing research projects. Throughout the 3 months, you will be working with our staff to issue some basic NWS products such as our Regional Weather Summary.

• Students will be expected to volunteer 8-10 hours per week at the WFO for a total of at least 80-100 hours. Depending on your school, you might be able to obtain 1-3 credits, usually as an independent study, and with a required research project as designed by the NWS Science and Operations Officer (SOO) and/or the student's advisor.

• A total of four students are allowed to participate in the volunteer program per year, usually during the summer break. However, in some instances students may be allowed to participate during the Fall or Spring semester.

Applicant requirements

• Students must have completed their freshman year in college, preferably in a meteorology, atmospheric science or hydrology program.
• Students must have an overall GPA of at least 3.0.

To apply, send:

• A cover letter
• A resume
• The most recent transcript to:

Dave Zaff
Science and Operations Officer
National Weather Service
587 Aero Drive
Buffalo, NY 14225
(716) - 565 - 0204
david.zaff@noaa.gov

 

Job Shadow

The NWS Buffalo Job Shadow program is intended for students interested in meteorology as a possible career.  The students spend around 2-4 hours with a NWS Buffalo meteorologist observing the forecast process, and discussing NWS career opportunities.

Interested students should contact:

Dave Zaff
Science and Operations Officer
National Weather Service
587 Aero Drive
Buffalo, NY 14225
(716) - 565 - 0204
david.zaff@noaa.gov