FIU WxChallenge

Team Information:


The FIU WxChallenge team is a group of FIU meteorology undergraduate students, graduate students, and alumni competing in the intercollegiate weather forecasting competition run by the University of Oklahoma through WxChallenge.com. From September - April, we forecast the high/low temperature, wind speed, and precipitation for 10 different cities across the country.

FIU has been participating the WxChallenge since the 2009-2010 school year. Partipation is required for students who are taking Dr. Haiyan Jiang's Severe Weather and Synoptic Meteorology Lab courses. The Department of Earth & Environment has been generously supporting the FIU team participiation by providing prizes to local winners each year since 2012-2013 and student registration fee since 2020-2021.

Several FIU students have been serving as the WxChallenge local manager under the sponsor of Dr. Hugh Willoughby (2009-2010) and Dr. Jiang (since 2010-2011). Below are our FIU local managers each year:
  • Chris Ponce: 2009-2010 & 2010-2011
  • Joe Zagrodnik 2011-2012 & 2012-2013
  • Alannah Irwin: 2013-2014 & 2014-2015
  • Justin Baldizon-Stark: 2015-2016 & 2016-2017
  • Rigoberto Olivera: 2017-2018 & 2018-2019 & 2019-2020 & 2020-2021 & 2021-2022 & 2022-2023
  • Results & Awards:


    Below are the cumulative results of the FIU team each year:
  • 2009-2010: Not placed (below 46th, total 46 teams nation-wide were placed )
  • 2010-2011: Not placed (below 51st, total 51 teams nation-wide were placed )
  • 2011-2012: 42nd out of 53 placed teams nation-wide
  • 2012-2013: 35th out of 52 placed teams nation-wide
  • 2013-2014: 36th out of 47 placed teams nation-wide
  • 2014-2015: 28th out of 47 placed teams nation-wide
  • 2015-2016: 40th out of 42 placed teams nation-wide
  • 2016-2017: Not placed (Dr. Jiang was on Sabbatical Leave and Synoptic class wasn't offered)
  • 2017-2018: Not placed
  • 2018-2019: 32th out of 36 placed (83 total) teams nation-wide
  • 2019-2020: Not Placed
  • 2020-2021: 26th out of 75 teams nation-wide
  • 2021-2022: Not Placed
  • 2022-2023: 25th out of 68 teams nation-wide

  • Individual Awards (national level):
  • In the 2012-2013 season, FIU graduate student Cheng Tao earned a trophy for finishing first in the graduate student category for the city of Duluth, MN (see picture on the right)!
  • In the 2015-2016 season, FIU undergraduate student Juan Carlos Pena earned a trophy for finishing second in the undergraduate student category for the city of Tampa Bay, FL (picture coming soon)!

  • Local Awards:
    We give out 11 local winner awards each year for the top ranked FIU team member locally for the 10 different cities and the final tournament round. Please see the list of local winners each year on the right. Please note that starting 2017-2018 school year, we set up a limit that each student can only win up to 3 local winner awards (one winning out of 5 cities in each semester and 1 winning for the final tournament round) each year.

    Signup Information for WxChallenge: (deadlines are at the beginning of Fall & Spring semesters):


    This PDF link is the PPT file that gives an overview of the competition and how to sign up, and instructions on how to submit a forecast. This mp4 video link is the zoom meeting recording of the WxChallenge Overview Presenation that Rigo gave in Fall 2022. This PDF link provides some useful links to help your WxChallenge forecasts. Please contact our local manager, Rigoberto Olivera (roliv053@fiu.edu), for additional questions.

    Links

    Trophy Cabinet

    2012-2013 Category 2 Winner
    Duluth MN: Cheng Tao


    2022-2023 Local Winners:

  • Sarasota/Bradenton, FL - Anurag Sharma
  • Knoxville, TN - Xinxi Wang
  • Milwaukee, WI - Valeria Espina
  • Olympia, WA - Maryana Popovits
  • Nome, AK - Anthony Duarte
  • Denver, CO - Luis Dieguez
  • Atlanta, GA - Valeria Espina
  • Augusta, ME - Xinxi Wang
  • San Angelo, TX - Anurag Sharma
  • Mt. Shasta, CA - Rigo Oliver
  • Tournament: Wild Card Round ranked #13 nation-wide - Anurag Sharma

  • 2021-2022 Local Winners:

  • Quillayute, WA - Anthony Duarte
  • Scottsbluff, NE - Xinxi Wang
  • Worcester, MA - Jeremy Katz
  • Saginaw, MI - Anurag Sharma
  • Ketchikan, AK - Valeria Espina
  • Houston, TX - Anurag Sharma
  • Bismarck, ND - Jeremy Katz
  • Memphis, TN - Xinxi Wang
  • Kahului, HI - Rigoberto Olivera
  • Baltimore MD - Anthony Duarte

  • 2020-2021 Local Winners:

  • Jackson, MS - Oscar Mendoza
  • Greensboro, NC - Suraima Aragon Teclas
  • Des Moines, IA - Xinxi Wang
  • Los Angeles, CA - Jeremy Katz
  • New Orleans, LA - Rigoberto Olivera
  • Melbourne, FL - Suraima AragonTeclas
  • Midland, TX - Jeremy Katz
  • Juneau, AK - Rigoberto Olivera
  • Glen Falls, NY - Xinxi Wang
  • Grand Rapids, MI - Alethia Kielbasa

  • 2019-2020 Local Winners:

  • Dubuque,IA: Javiera Hernandez
  • Cheyenne,WY: Xinxi Wang
  • Columbus,OH: Jayden Hicks
  • Dallas,TX: Jeremy Katz
  • Minneapolis,MN: Andrew Pinnock
  • Boston, MA: Jeremy Katz
  • South Carolina, SC: Rigoberto Olivera
  • Lake Charles, LA: Xinxi Wang
  • Cold Bay, AK: Valeria Espina

  • 2018-2019 Local Winners:

  • Portland,OR: Xinxi Wang
  • Omaha,NE: Sharoon Bhatti
  • Caribou,ME: Jeremy Katz
  • Philadelphia, PA: Javiera Hernandez
  • Boise,ID: Ana Bolivar
  • Phoenix,AZ: Rigo Olivera
  • Duluth, MN: Sharoon, Bhatti
  • Anchorage, AK: Xinxi Wang
  • Nashville, TN: Jeremy Katz
  • Pueblo, CO: Javiera Hernandez

  • 2017-2018 Local Winners:

  • Providence, PI: Troy Anderson
  • Washington DC: Regan Ratcliff
  • Salt Lake City, UT: John Ratcliff
  • Quillayute, WA: Val Espina
  • Cleveland, OH: Christina Cockrell
  • Austin, TX: John Ratcliff
  • Madison, WI: Troy Anderson
  • Binghamton, NY:Josh Hildebrand

  • 2016-2017 Local Winners:

  • Key West, FL: Alannah Irwin
  • Harrisburg, PA: Justin Stark
  • Grand Island, NE: Justin Stark
  • Reno, NV: Justin Stark
  • Trverse City, MI: Juan Pena
  • Seattle, WA: Justin Stark
  • Jackson, MS: Justin Stark
  • Kodiak, AK: Justin Stark
  • Bismarck, ND: Justin Stark
  • Nashville, TN: Justin Stark

  • 2015-2016 Local Winners:

  • Final Tournament winner: Justin Baldizon
  • Beckley, WV: Whitney Fenelon
  • Fort Wayne, IN: Stephanie De Souza
  • El Paso, TX: Angeline Fernandez
  • Aberdeen, SD: Maria Jacobson
  • New Orleans, LA: Charles Wirk
  • Green Bay, WI: Juan Pena
  • Tampa Bay, FL: Juan Pena
  • Durango, CO: Javiera Hernandes
  • Long Island, NY: Justin Stark
  • Sandberg, CA: Justin Stark

  • 2014-2015 Local Winners:

  • Tournament Little Rock, AR winner: Justin Stark
  • Wilmington, NC: Tony Cosio
  • Butte, MT: Alannah Irwin
  • Caribou, ME: Eric Reed
  • Abilene, TX: Brian Matilla (
  • Sault Ste. Marie, MI:Justin Stark
  • Phoenix, AZ: Brian Matilla
  • Springfield, IL: Brian Matilla
  • Long Beach, CA: Justin Stark
  • Montgomery, AL: Justin Stark
  • Laramie, WY: Justin Stark

  • 2013-2014 Local Winners:

  • Houston, TX: Brian Matilla
  • Cheyenne, WY: Brian Matilla
  • Norman, OK: Justin Baldizon
  • Concord, NH: Tony Cosio
  • Grand Rapids, MI: Alannah Irwin
  • Atlanta, GA: Justin Baldizon
  • Fairbanks, AK: Cheng Tao
  • Baltimore, MD: Brian Matilla
  • Redding, CA: Justin Cuomo
  • Grand Forks, ND: Alannah Irwin

  • 2012-2013 Local Winners:

  • Overall winner: Mike Fischer, 122nd place
  • Pensacola, FL: Pete Curran
  • Billings, MT: Joe Zagrodnik
  • Louisville, KY: Jonathan Furst
  • Astoria, OR: Brian Matilla
  • Syracuse, NY: Mike Fischer
  • Austin, TX: Szandra Peter
  • Burbank, CA: Szandra Peter
  • Newark, NJ: Alannah Irwin
  • Duluth, MN: Cheng Tao
  • Des Moines, IA: Joe Zagrodnik