National Weather Service Update

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National Weather Service Update

• Issues, Activities, and
• Upcoming Events

Lans P. Rothfusz Meteorologist in
Charge Peachtree City, GA
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Topics

• NWS Funding
• Repeater in PTC
• Mesonet/ARES Connection
• CONOPS and you
• EF Scale
• Oh, yeahThe Weather

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NWS Funding Picture

• Under Continuing Resolution (CR) for FY07.
• Funded at 70 of previous year.
• Keeps the lights on.
• No new initiatives.
• May continue through end of FY.

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Repeater in PTC

• Anticipated removal of antenna soon.
• Primary SkyWarn link for Peachtree City NWS.
• Like losing a radar.
• Coordinated NWS, ARES, GEMA, FCARC efforts
  underway to resolve.
• Looking for tower space.
• Talking to other state agencies.

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Mesonet ARES

• Synergistic systems and opportunities

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What is a Mesonet?

• Mesonet a system of sensors designed to
  measure the environment at the size and duration
  of mesoscale events.

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Benefits of a Mesonet

• Enhanced monitoring modeling of biohazard
  (BCRNE) plume dispersion.
• Better support in man-made and natural hazard
  events (incident command).

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Benefits of a Mesonet

• Improved severe weather warnings (especially
  damaging winds and tornadoes).
• Greater success in winter weather forecasting
  (e.g., ice locations and snow amounts).

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Benefits of a Mesonet

• More effective drought monitoring and water
  resource management.

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Benefits of a Mesonet

• Better monitoring forecasting of controlled and
  uncontrolled burns in forest management.
• Improved support for agricultural decision makers.

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Benefits of a Mesonet

• Data for epidemiological and forensic analysis.

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What We Have Now

• A variety of mesonets.
• Sensors radically different.
• Locations are not optimal.
• Each has gaps in coverage.
• Some do not collect in real-time.
• Data not compiled and shared.

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Why Were Partnering
GA Forestry Station
NWS Coop Station
UGA AEMN Station
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GPBs Golden Offer

• GPB offering space on towers for pooled
  (multi-use) antennae.
• ARES/SkyWarn.
• Mesonet comms.
• Win-win-win solution.

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The Antenna

• Sinclair SD214-HL 4
• 7.0/7.5 dBd gain.
• Industrial strength.
• 118-225 MHz
• 170-174 MHz for govt purposes (mesonet).
• 144-148 for ARES (SkyWarn).

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Connecting the Network
Mesonet Stations
Internet
NERON Facility QC Archive
GPB Towers
2-way RF Comms
ftp, VPN, etc.
Mesonet Partner
NWS
Mesonet Partner
Public Partners
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Where We are Now

• Independent evaluation of project proposal has
  been completed.
• Looks feasible.
• Pushing NWSH.
• My goal Get the antennae up!!!
• The rest will come later.
• Field of Dreams approach

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ConOps and You

• Concept of Operations
• Agile office-to-office workload distribution to
  address high impact events and targets of
  opportunities.
• HazMat spills/releases
• Major weather events
• Special events
• Unique training opportunities for NWS

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ConOps Prototype Areas
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What ConOps Means for You

• Be ready to flex.
• Multiple office contacts coordinations.
• Build relations with surrounding NWS SkyWarn
  leaders.
• Stand by There is still a lot to discover.
• Evolution, not revolution.

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EF-Scale

• Enhanced Fujita Scale
• Improved surveying methodology
• Using 28 damage indicators (e.g., barns, trees,
  mobile homes, businesses, etc.)
• Using Degree of Damage assessments (photos for
  basis)
• Result More accurate and consistent wind speed
  determinations.

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EF-Scale

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Oh, YeahThe Weather

• El Nino in full swing.
• Severe weather (tornadoes) in January just ask
  Coweta County.
• No clear indicators for spring weather. Just be
  ready.
• Hurricane season
• 2006
• 9 named storms, 5 hurricanes, two of them major.
• Normal season, but below expectations
• No hurricanes hit U.S. Atlantic coast 11th time
  that has occurred since 1945.
• 2007
• Above normal activity.

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Just for Fun

• www.srh.noaa.gov/ffc/HotSeat/index.shtml
• Or click on HotSeat icon at
• weather.gov/atlanta

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Questions?

• Lans Rothfusz
• Meteorologist in Charge
• NWS Peachtree City, GA
• lans.rothfusz_at_noaa.gov