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Twisters So S

Apr 11

2026

Comic-Con Museum San Diego, CA

Tickets
with

Deanna Nash, Ph.D.

Precipitation and Geohazard Scientist, Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego

and

Julie Kalansky, Ph.D.

Climate Scientist, Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego

and

Dr. Anna M. Wilson

Assistant Director for Atmospheric River Reconnaissance, Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (CW3E), Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Twisters— Predicting Extreme Weather with Technology, Data, and Gut Feelings

Think chasing tornadoes is just for the movies? (Twisters, anyone?) Extreme weather events happen worldwide—and while tornadoes aren’t common in Southern California, they’re not impossible. Add in earthquakes, flooding, intense rain, heat waves, and wildfires, and the need for accurate forecasting becomes clear. What roles do cutting-edge technology, gut instincts, and citizen science play in predicting these events? And how does real science compare to what we see on the big screen? Deanna Nash, Julie Kalansky, and Anna M. Wilson, all researchers from the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes, will share how they monitor, model, and improve forecasts for extreme weather events.

Comic-Con Museum San Diego, CA

Tickets

Film Synopsis

A retired tornado-chaser and meteorologist is persuaded to return to Oklahoma to work with a new team and new technologies.

    Haunted by a devastating encounter with a tornado, Kate Cooper (Daisy Edgar-Jones) gets lured back to the open plains by her friend Javi (Anthony Ramos) to test a groundbreaking new tracking system. She soon crosses paths with Tyler Owens (Glen Powell), a charming but reckless social-media superstar who thrives on posting his storm-chasing adventures. As storm season intensifies, Kate, Tyler and their competing teams find themselves in a fight for their lives as multiple systems converge over central Oklahoma.

    Photo credit: Universal Pictures

    About the Speaker

    Deanna Nash, Ph.D., is a Precipitation and Geohazard Scientist at the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego. She investigates the West Coast’s most powerful storm systems, like atmospheric rivers, and how they can trigger hazards such as landslides. Blending high-tech weather models, satellite imagery, and a healthy respect for weather's many plot twists, she works to stay one step ahead of extreme storms, piecing together evidence from past events to improve future forecasts.

    Julie Kalansky, Ph.D. is a climate scientist at the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego. She works on integrating climate, atmospheric, and hydrologic sciences to build resilience to extreme weather and climate by understanding past variability and future changes. Integration of the research, observations, and products is a primary focus through developing partnerships with communities, local, state and federal agencies. She really enjoys the collaborative and interdisciplinary nature of the work.

    Dr. Anna M. Wilson is the Assistant Director for Atmospheric River Reconnaissance with the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (CW3E) at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. At CW3E, her interests are in supporting the development of physically based, accurate representations of atmospheric rivers and other extreme events in forecasts and projections with targeted observations. Her responsibilities include overseeing large-scale field programs in support of Research and Operations partnerships such as Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations, and coordinating Atmospheric River Reconnaissance.