NCAR director since 2010, Wakimoto will assume his new position in February 2013.

Every so often, a quiet corner of research suddenly grabs the spotlight. Such was the case this week when a Category 1 Atlantic hurricane morphed into Superstorm Sandy.

NCAR scientists are leading a three-year, international study into the impact of open-fire cooking on regional air quality and disease.

Hurricane Sandy is on track to carve its way into weather annals. There will no doubt be devastating, deadly effects, along with some impacts one doesn’t expect in a hurricane.

Hurricane Sandy may pummel the mid-Atlantic coast early next week, possibly carving out multiple niches in U.S. weather history while producing what could easily be billions of dollars in damage.