About CFAN
Climate Forecast Applications Network (CFAN) is a pioneering leader in advanced weather and climate forecasting, delivering innovative, decision-oriented tools that empower organizations to effectively manage weather and climate-related risks. CFAN bridges cutting-edge research with practical applications, leveraging ensemble forecast methods, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to produce highly accurate probabilistic forecasts of high-impact weather events –from days to weeks to seasons.
CFAN was founded in 2006 by Judith Curry and Peter Webster and launched under Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute VentureLab program. We are recognized as innovators in pushing the boundaries of effective forecasting and advancing the understanding of weather and climate prediction and predictability. CFAN’s team is active in advancing novel ideas and approaches in weather and climate services. Our innovative research and forecast product development has been recognized and supported by several Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants from NOAA and DOE.
CFAN’s software and forecast products solve critical problems for customers in high-stakes sectors such as energy trading, electric power providers, insurance and finance. CFAN collaborates closely with its clients to develop new products and address their most complex weather- and climate-related challenges, as well as identify lucrative opportunities in these areas. CFAN’s comprehensive weather forecast platforms include:
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OmniCast for the energy sector provides superior probabilistic intelligence on energy demand, supply from renewables, and load that outperforms other forecast providers at longer time horizons. OmniCast helps clients to anticipate fluctuations, mitigate risks, optimize trading operations, protect lives and assets, and improve bottom-line performance.
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supports organizations around the globe in anticipating and responding to the compound hazards associated with hurricanes. CFAN’s innovations deliver not only the most accurate tropical cyclone forecasts and with longer lead times, but also the most expansive suite of decision support tools commercially available.
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is CFAN’s newest forecast product that provides skillful probabilistic forecasts of compound and extreme weather events – thunderstorms, tornadoes, hail, wind gusts, extreme heat and cold events, fire weather and winter weather. XtremeCast extends lead times of quality forecasts beyond anything available on the market today. XtremeCast helps decision makers in utilities, insurance and emergency management sectors to prepare and position assets to minimize loss and maximize response time during extreme and compound weather events.
A true synergy between research, forecasts and decision support produces a culture of innovation and client support that is unique among weather and climate forecast providers. With a proven track record of innovation, CFAN continues to meet the growing demand for sophisticated weather and climate intelligence and risk management technologies to support resilient decision making.
Our Team
Judith Curry
President and Founder
Dr. Judith Curry is President and co-founder of CFAN. Following an influential career in academic research and administration, Curry founded CFAN to support the management of weather and climate risk. She is Professor Emerita at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where she served as Chair of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences for 13 years. Curry is a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Geophysical Union. She is frequently called upon to give Congressional testimony and serve as an expert witness on matters related to weather and climate. Curry received a Ph.D. in Geophysical Sciences from the University of Chicago.
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Peter Webster
Chief Scientist and Founder
Dr. Peter Webster is Chief Scientist and co-Founder of CFAN. Dr. Webster is Professor Emeritus at Georgia Tech. Webster’s research on tropical meteorology and climate dynamics has been recognized by numerous awards from the American Meteorological Society, the Royal Meteorological Society, and the American Geophysical Union. Webster recently served as President of the American Geophysical Union Atmospheric Sciences Section. He has actively worked with developing countries and development banks in Asia to reduce vulnerability to extreme weather events. Webster received a Ph.D. in Meteorology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Violeta Toma
Vice President,
Forecast Product Development
Dr. Violeta Toma oversees all of CFAN's forecast product development. She leads the overall effort for CFAN’s energy forecast products. Prior to joining CFAN in 2010, she was an air quality consultant at Trinity Consulting. Her expertise included Air Dispersion Modeling, New Source Review (NSR) permitting and regulatory applicability analyses for a variety of industries including Renewable Electricity Generation. Prior to coming to the U.S., Toma was a Meteorologist at the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology, Romania. Toma received a Ph.D. in Atmospheric Sciences from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Mark Jelinek
General Manager,
Research Meteorologist
Mark Jelinek's broad range of responsibilities at CFAN builds upon decades of business and technology experience. He has held business development positions with IBM, AppliedTheory, and KPMG Consulting. He has also successfully started and developed two companies: Convergence Zone, an internet service / web development company; and CREATECH, a catalyst in the emerging sector of innovation, patenting and technology transfer in South America. His expertise includes tropical cyclones, snowpack, hydrology, big data and analytics. He received a M.S. in Atmospheric Sciences from the Georgia Institute of Technology and recently earned a Sustainability and Climate Risk (SCR®) Certification from GARP
Jim LeMunyon
Manager,
Business Development
Jim LeMunyon oversees CFAN’s business expansion strategy, strategic partnerships, marketing and sales. LeMunyon is a technology company entrepreneur with executive experience, technical background and extensive business development record. He was co-founder and president of Sterling Semiconductor, which was acquired by Dow Corning in 2003. LeMunyon's professional experience includes working as the Chief of Staff for Congressman Ed Zschau and Deputy Assistant Secretary -- U.S. Department of Commerce. He recently served four terms in the Virginia House of Delegates. LeMunyon received a M.S. in Meteorology from the University of Wisconsin - Madison.
JJ Miller
Manager,
Information Technology
As Manager of Information Technology, JJ Miller supervises CFAN’s software engineers and is responsible for the system architecture, efficiency and reliability of CFAN’s operational forecast systems. He is the lead on translating research into forecast operations for CFAN’s tropical cyclone products. Prior to joining CFAN, Miller was a Research Associate at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, applying deep learning and artificial intelligence to interpreting satellite observations. Miller received a M.S. in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Alabama-Huntsville.