Fielding of Improved Radar Software Begins Today

The NWS completed testing a new version of Radar Product Generator (RPG) software and begins deploying the software today. The software release is the second in a series of semiannual releases using new Open RPG hardware and software architecture to bring new capabilities to radar users.

The new software will improve the quality of the radar data used by forecasters and the public by providing automatic identification of anomalous radar returns and ground clutter. Improvements in precipitation estimates should improve flash flood forecasts; and the addition of radar-estimated wind tailored for use in weather forecast models should improve the skill of the models.

The new release also adds a high resolution depiction of liquid water content in clouds for use by forecasters and Federal Aviation Administration controllers to enhance safety of flight operations; and, includes a new communications capability, enabling the U.S. Air Force to connect its new radar display systems to the nationwide radar network.

Donated IFLOWS rain gauges proved their worth when tropical storm Hanna passed through South Carolina on September 15-16, 2002. Patricia Tanner, Senior Service Hydrologist with the NWS Weather Forecast Office serving Greenville-Spartanburg, SC, said these gauges, donated by the North Carolina IFLOWS Consortium improved NWS flash flood warnings.

"During the landfall of Hanna, a pair of gauges reported 5 to 10 inches of rain, which caused moderate flooding of homes along Gilder and Brushy Creeks. Based on rainfall reports from these gauges, we were able to issue timely flash flood warnings," Tanner said.

Last year the North Carolina IFLOWS Consortium donated 15 old IFLOWS gauges to three counties in South Carolina. "The gauges help North Carolina get an early view of what may be coming towards the state from South Carolina," Tanner explained.

The North Carolina IFLOWS Consortium is made up of seven counties in the western part of the state. In South Carolina, five IFLOWS gauges each were set up in Greenville, Anderson and Oconee Counties. The gauges were installed in areas prone to flash flooding along two creeks that run through major subdivisions, Gilder Creek and Brushy Creek.

The North Carolina IFLOWS Consortium donated the gauges hoping to help get an IFLOWS network started in South Carolina, according to Rocky Hyder, president of the NC IFLOWS Consortium. Tanner said the donated gauges help the people living in the South Carolina counties see the value of IFLOWS gauge data when flash flooding is occurring or possible.

"Greenville County may purchase new IFLOWS river and rain gauges to add to their IFLOWS gauge network," she said. IFLOW rain gauges use radio signals to transmit information. The county also is considering placing a repeater in the southern part of the county, which will allow the NWS to receive signals from other counties further south of the office.

The North Carolina IFLOWS network has more than 130 IFLOWS gauges, and each year the NWS provides funds, through grants, to replace older gauges. Tanner said the older gauges tend to have a few years left in them when they are replaced by newer style gauges, so instead of putting the gauges in story the consortium donates the gauges to other counties and programs.

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El Niño Road Show 2002

From September 26 - November 8, 2002,NWS Climate Prediction Center (CPC) experts will hold regional briefings on the current El Niño and its expected impacts during the coming Fall and Winter. The briefings, coordinated by NWS Climate Services Division staff, CPC, and NWS regional contacts, are intended for NWS staff, partners from other agencies and academia, and the media. The first briefing, given by Gerry Bell, was held for Eastern Region Headquarters on September 26, 2002.

According to Jim Laver, CPC Director, the workshops are intended to review science, impacts and communications issues related to the current El Niño with NWS field personnel, and to keep NWS partners, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, regional climate centers, state climatologists, and the media, informed of the NWS perspective on those issues.

The schedule includes:

• October 10, 10 a.m., Southern Region Headquarters, speaker: Gerry Bell
• October 10-11, (time TBD), Seattle, WA, speaker: Wayne Higgins
• October 31, 1:30 p.m., NWS Training Center in Kansas City, MO, speaker: Jim Laver
• November 4, Pacific Region Headquarters in Honolulu, HI, (time TBD), speaker: Jim Laver
• November 7, (time TBD), Santa Monica, CA, Double Tree Hotel, speaker: John Janowiak
• November 8, (time TBD), Sacramento, CA, California OES Facilities, speaker: John Janowiak
• The Alaska Region was sent a briefing package and may also receive a briefing via teleconference.

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NOAA Share Plans for Modernizing Cooperative Observers Network

NOAA presented plans for modernizing the Cooperative Observer Program (COOP) network at the September 18, 2002, COOP Modernization Partners' Forum. Private and academic weather partners, regional and state climatologists, COOP observers, and COOP data users attended this one-day forum held in Rockville, MD.

"Cooperative observers are the backbone of the temperature and precipitation readings that describe weather and climate in the United States," said James Mahoney, NOAA Deputy Administrator, who presented the opening remarks at the Forum. "The data they collect provides us with a solid weather history and an essential tool for predicting the future."

"Modernizing the COOP network is the first step in meeting the Nation's increasing need for timely, higher-resolution weather and climate data," said Jack Kelly, NWS Director. "Modernized stations will increase our ability to quickly and accurately chart variability, thereby improving our forecasting and drought-monitoring capabilities."

Partners attending the workshop learned that most COOP stations depend upon outdated recording and reporting technology, some a century old. In many cases observers record observation data by hand, and rely on surface mail for delivering the data to NOAA. This results in a 2-day to 2-month delay in the availability of data for processing. With a modernized and more-automated system, preliminary data could be made available almost immediately.

"Since the inception of the COOP, an astonishing variety of uses for COOP data have emerged, from climate change and variability applications to litigation and insurance industry needs," according to Tom Karl, director of NOAA's National Climate Data Center. "COOP data are one of our most requested resources. Modernization will allow us to disseminate quality-controlled data in a more timely and economical fashion."

Deputy Commerce Secretary Samuel Bodman presented the keynote address. In his remarks, the Deputy Secretary emphasized the importance of the network to the nation's infrastructure and economic decision making, as well as the need for more timely observations to support a broad range of industry activities.

Business and industry are recognizing potential uses for COOP data if it is available in a more timely manner. The energy industry would like to use real time COOP data and forecasts for energy load forecasting and planning. Each degree of improvement in temperature forecasts is estimated to equate to a potential savings of $1 billion annually. The weather risk management industry has indicated it would like to use the data as the basis for contracts for managing risks related to weather and climate variability.

When the modernization is completed, about 8,000 modern temperature and precipitation gauges will be operating at locations identified in a spatial density study. Automated data communications, dissemination, and archiving will be added at these sites. Temperature and precipitation data will be reported every hour. Snowfall and snow depth will be reported every 24 hours. In addition, 1,000 sites in agriculturally sensitive areas will be equipped with soil moisture, temperature, humidity, and evaporation sensors.

When fully implemented, COOP modernization will provide the enhanced ability to monitor climate variability on small scales (especially drought), and to monitor precipitation in near real time, leading to improved flood prediction. More accurate and timely COOP data will also lead to more accurate local temperature forecasts.

Modernization of the COOP network is scheduled to begin in FY 03, and is expected to continue for the following 10-12 years.

The meeting summary and information about the COOP Modernization Partners' Forum are available on the web at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/csd/workshop/COOP/Pres.

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The Buzz: Pseudonyms Sting NWS Credibility

Several NWS employees have used pseudonyms – fake names – during media interviews. The buzz is that at least one reporter, who has published stories quoting a non-existent employee, is mad. So, what's the big deal?

In a recent memo, NWS Director Jack Kelly noted the media is our primary voice with the public and media interviews about the weather and our operations enable us to educate the public about what we do. He noted pseudonyms may damage relations with the media and embarrass the NWS.

He provided some guidelines that will help maintain the trust between us and the media:

• Respond to the inquiry using your real surname, or ask if the reporter will accept "NWS spokesperson" in place of your name.

• If you do not want to provide your real surname, and the reporter will not accept "NWS spokesperson," ask someone else in the office, who will provide his/her surname, to respond to the media inquiry.

• The final option is to turn the request over to your manager for response even if this requires notification outside business hours.

Curtis Carey, the director of the NOAA's Public Affairs Office at the NWS adds employees may be hesitant to use their surname when there is the possibility that the interview will produce a negative story. He reminds employees to "interview the interviewer" before responding to reporter's requests for interviews. Carey suggests employees find out what the interview will be about and the reporter's deadline.

"Always honor the reporter's deadline but call the reporter back if you need time to prepare for the interview or find a more appropriate person to respond to the request," Carey said. "If you get the sense that an interview may result in a negative story, call me or your regional public affairs officer for guidance," Carey said. Carey can be reached at 301-713-0622.

NWS Participates in the Sally Ride Science Festival at MIT

Over 1,100 people, including middle school girls, teachers, and parents, attended the "Sally Ride Science Festival," held on the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, MA, on September 22, 2002. The NWS sponsored an exhibit booth, conducted workshops, and talked to students about careers in meteorology.

The Science Festival, a part of the "Sally Ride Science Club," was founded by Sally Ride, America's first woman astronaut in space. The Science Club and Festivals target 5th to 8th grade girls interested in pursuing science, math, and technology careers.

"This festival exposes young women to the endless possibilities that exist in the math and science fields," said Eleanor Vallier-Talbot, Meteorologist and Outreach Coordinator who participated for the NWS Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Taunton, MA. "From Dr. Sally Ride to ABC News Correspondent Lynn Sherr, it was an uplifting and educational experience for everyone who attended."

The event included two dozen exhibitors holding a "street fair" on MIT's campus, career workshops on the different facets of science, math, and technology for students, and workshops for parents about preparing and supporting career choices in science. According to Vallier-Talbot, the highlights of the day were the keynote addresses by author and ABC News Correspondent Lynn Sherr and astronaut Sally Ride (picture link).

Ride spoke about her experiences studying astrophysics at Stanford University and how she became the first American woman in space. She showed pictures from her two flights aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger, including an excellent photo as the Shuttle flew over an Indian Ocean cyclone. Sherr spoke about her new book called Tall Blonds which reveals her passion for giraffes. She also produced a television show on the subject that will air as a part of PBS' "Nature" series in mid-October.

"These events offer an excellent opportunity to expose the next generation of scientists to what the NWS has to offer," said Vallier-Talbot. "There is value in other NWS offices participating around the country." The "Sally Ride Science Festival" at MIT was the fourth in a series of festivals that are planned nationwide. For more information, visit http://www.sallyridefestivals.com.

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Also on the Web...Accuweather Profiled by Newsweek magazine

The September 30 issue of Newsweek featured a story on AccuWeather. Link here.
http://www.msnbc.com/news/810696.asp?0cl=c1

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Director's Dialogue: Got a Question?

NWS Director Jack Kelly is addressing employee questions in an NOAA's NWS Focus column called Director's Dialogue. Questions should have organizational-wide implications. The column will not address personal questions relating to benefits, pay, supervision, or labor/management disputes. The Director will read all questions, but may not be able to answer all questions due to time and space constraints. Submit your question to NWS.Focus@noaa.gov, with the words "Director's Dialog" in the SUBJECT line. Questions must include a sender's name and office.