Supporting and Promoting Excellence in
Operational Meteorology and Related Activities since 1975
Broadcast Seal Info.
April-May 2000 Newsletter
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National Weather Association Newsletter No. 00- 4, 5 April-May 2000
Table of Contents
President's MessageNWA Awards Program 2000
Member News
In Memoriam
Local Chapter News
Meetings of Interest
NWA 25th Anniversary Meeting Update
Job Corner
TRAINING CORNER: More Great Operational Meteorology Training Materials Now Online!
Inaugural Electronic Paper Published in New NWA Online Journal
More on Human Response to Severe Weather Warnings
Aviation Met News
Dates to Remember
*****
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Building on the Past and Present as the NWA Continues into the 21st Century
In the spirit of the "Then and Now" presentations being planned by the 25th Anniversary Meeting Committee, I am taking the liberty to take the "Then" back 100 years to the turn of the century (19th-20th) and to compare those times with "Now".
My motivation to go back 100 years was inspired by a book I just read, Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson. The parallelism between going into the 20th and 21st centuries is uncanny in spite of the apparent differences. Isaac's Storm is about a dedicated and highly trained first generation employee of the new U.S. Weather Bureau whose name was Isaac Cline. Isaac was in charge of the Texas section of the Weather Bureau that was located in Galveston, Texas. Despite all of his education, Isaac had an absurd delusion that strong hurricanes did not pose any serious danger to Galveston. Isaac's attitude reflected the extreme optimism of our nation in 1900. Our country was swollen with pride and technological confidence. This was an age when the average American felt four hundred percent better than the year before. The U. S. was rapidly becoming one of the technological powerhouses of the world. There was even talk of controlling the weather — in this new age, nature itself seemed no great obstacle.
At the headquarters of the Weather Bureau in Washington, D.C., new leadership tightened their control over weather forecasters working within the U.S. and in facilities outside of the country. The bureaucracy in Washington, D.C. insisted on strict verification of forecasts; forecast verifications for each forecaster were reported to Washington every six months. The fast pace of the U.S. technological revolution and these tighter controls generated a lot of tension. As a result, more Weather Bureau employees were committed to insane asylums than employees of any other federal agency were. Pressure on weather forecasters was best exemplified by newspaper editorials in 1900 calling weather prediction "a complete science" — well, "it wasn't!"
The hard lesson that nature cannot be predicted, especially at the extremes of its behavior, was delivered to Isaac Cline, to the city of Galveston, and to the entire nation on 8 September 1900. In the evening of that day, the worst natural disaster in U.S. history roared out of the Gulf of Mexico into Galveston. It killed as many as 10,000 people — a number far greater than the combined death tolls of the Johnstown floods and the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. The event was so devastating that it forever changed the course of a city on the verge of greatness; editorials already had dubbed Galveston, "the New York of the Gulf."
At the turn of the century, in 1900, Americans seemed to know who they were, and where they were going, and saw only a great and bright century ahead. Isaac Cline exhibited America's optimism and pride that it could do whatever it wanted, whenever it wanted, and could override even nature! The attitude of our country at the turn of the previous century resonates with much of our optimism today; we are technical leaders in the world where no boundary is insurmountable. However, there is and always will be the inevitable clash between technological advances and nature, the last great uncontrollable force. I sometimes believe that technology has produced the illusion that it has so defanged extreme weather phenomena such as hurricanes that these storms will never surprise us again. But today, the meteorological community knows that we: (1) have not defanged extreme weather, (2) cannot become complacent, and (3) must be ever vigilant of the unexpected, as in a storm that: suddenly develops, changes direction or undergoes explosive deepening. The lesson learned from the last 100 years is that nothing is certain, ever. Weather prediction is NOT an exact science! However, optimism does prevail today in that we are making unprecedented technological advances that are leading to a better understanding of weather phenomena and vastly improved predictions of that great uncontrollable force called WEATHER!
Let me conclude this article by mentioning a brief conversation I had with our founding father, Jerry LaRue. I was honored to ask Jerry if he wanted to give an invited talk at our 25th anniversary celebration in October. Jerry was quite pleased being asked and enthusiastic about saying a few words to our association that he so treasures. He reminded me that his principal dream for the NWA was to be all-inclusive — in other words "no strings attached" for membership. The only criterion is a love and passion for WEATHER — the primary reason why many of us selected this field of endeavor. - Rod Scofield
*****
NWA AWARDS PROGRAM 2000
The National Weather Association began its award program in 1977 to provide deserved recognition to those individuals involved in operational activities. The Awards Program recognizes the professional as well as the volunteer. The emphasis is on the people who perform the day-to-day jobs of providing meteorological information and weather support services to the public. Names of previous winners and additional award information are available on the NWA Web site (www.nwas.org).
Award Categories are:
Operational Achievement Individual Award: The award is presented to an NWA member who has made a significant
contribution to operational meteorology (e.g., an accurate/timely forecast for one or more significant weather events or for
long-period achievement).
Operational Achievement Group Award: The award is presented to a group of two or more individuals for a significant contribution to operational meteorology. At a minimum, a majority of the group (greater than 50%) must be NWA members.
T. Theodore Fujita Research Achievement Award: This award is presented to an NWA member whose research has made a significant contribution to operational meteorology.
Walter J. Bennett Public Service Award: This award is presented to an individual or organization directly assisting the meteorological community in providing weather-related information to the public. Individuals and organizations in the meteorological profession are ineligible for this award.
Public Education Award: This award is presented to an individual or organization providing significant contributions to increase the public's weather awareness.
Broadcaster of the Year Award: This award is presented to an NWA member Radio or Television weathercaster, or other member of the broadcast media, whose activities have significantly contributed to the development and presentation of weather information to the public service.
Aviation Meteorology Award: This award is presented to an individual or group to recognize significant contributions to aviation meteorology, such as impact of operational forecasts on aviation operations, and advances in aviation meteorology including research in detection and forecasting of aviation hazards.
Local Chapter Award: This award is presented to a Local Chapter of the NWA whose activities have significantly increased awareness of the weather and of the NWA in their local area.
The Larry R. Johnson Special Award: This award is presented to an individual or a group to recognize unique events or extraordinary accomplishments, which significantly contributed to operational meteorology.
Narrative nominations (no more than two pages) with additional comments or endorsements should be forwarded by 30 June 2000, to:
NWA Awards Committee
Andrew Horvitz, Chairperson
6704 Wolke Court
Montgomery, AL 36116-2134 USA
Although there is no rigid time requirement for the awards, the Committee prefers that the accomplishment, if not on a continuing basis, occur within 18 months prior to the nominations. Winners will be honored at the NWA Annual Meeting Awards Luncheon, 17 October 2000 in Silver Spring, MD.
NWA SOL HIRSCH EDUCATION FUND GRANTS
The NWA Education Committee needs help from all members to spread the word to teachers in grades K-12 that $500 grants are available annually from the NWA to help improve the education of their students in meteorology. The teachers selected will be able to use the funds to take an accredited course in atmospheric sciences, attend a relevant workshop or conference, or purchase scientific materials or equipment for the classroom. Three grants or more are possible in 2000 thanks to the many members who have contributed to this fund in honor of Sol Hirsch who retired in 1992 after being the NWA Executive Director for 11 years. Applications can be obtained from the NWA Education Committee, 3809 Clarks Lane Suite 007, Baltimore MD 21215, from the NWA office or the NWA Web site (www.nwas.org). Completed applications are due to the Education Committee by 1 August 2000.
CALL FOR PAPERS — NWA METEOROLOGICAL SATELLITE APPLICATIONS AWARD
Undergraduate students are invited to write an original paper on meteorological satellite applications. Themes may include original research, case studies, or a survey of applications. The recipient of the award will receive a stipend of $500 and be invited to present their paper at the NWA Annual Meeting in Silver Spring, Maryland, 14-20 October 2000. Frances Parmenter-Holt, Chairperson of the NWA Remote Sensing Committee, and a NWA Councilor, sponsors this award.
The student must be enrolled as an undergraduate at the time the paper is written and be in good academic standing at the college or university attending. The student also must be a U.S. citizen or hold permanent resident status. The deadline for submission is 16 June 2000. See the Jan-Feb 2000 Newsletter or the NWA Web site (www.nwas.org) for complete information.
*****
MEMBER NEWS
Kevin Starr has been promoted to Manager, TRW Weather Operations, in Omaha, NE. TRW is the developer of the Air Force's Global Theater Weather Analysis and Prediction System (GTWAPS) as well as several other Air Force Weather Agency (AFWA) programs at Offutt AFB, NE. Kevin was formerly the GTWAPS Project Manager and prior to moving to Omaha, led weather support teams on TRW's FAA and NOAA/NWS contracts in the Washington DC metro area.
David I. Knapp, a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Air Force Reserves, was selected by the Air Force for the 1999 SPENGLER AWARD. It is presented annually to the most outstanding weather mobilization augmentee of the year. The award was established in 1975 in honor of Brigadier General Kenneth C. Spengler (AF Reserve) who served as Special Assistant to the Commander, Air Weather Service (1961-1975). Dave is a research meteorologist at the Army Research Lab in White Sands, NM and was recalled to active duty on short notice last year. Colonel Knapp took charge of a team at the Air Force Weather Agency Headquarters at Offutt AFB, Nebraska and directed many technology breakthrough efforts in support of Operation ALLIED FORCE. His efforts paved the way to improve critical forecasts of clouds, thunderstorms, turbulence and icing — all critical to combat success in the Balkans. Dave is also the NWA Commissioner of Committees.
Announcements on new Meteorologists in Charge (MIC) in the NWS Southern Region noted that Jim Stefkovich will be the new MIC at the NWS Forecast Office in Jackson, Mississippi. He is currently the Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the NWSFO in Fort Worth. Lans Rothfusz will return to the NWSFO in Atlanta as its new MIC in July. He is currently MIC at the NWSFO in Tulsa. Lans was the DMIC at Atlanta and MIC for the Olympic Weather Support Office in Atlanta in 1996. Ken Graham is the new MIC at NWSFO Corpus Christi. Ken is currently the Public and Marine Services Meteorologist in the Meteorological Services Division of Southern Region Headquarters. David "Rusty" Billingsley is the new MIC at NWSFO Lubbock. Rusty is currently the Science and Operations Officer at the NWSFO in Boise, Idaho. Congratulations and best wishes to these NWA members.
Strategic Weather Services, Inc., a NWA Corporate Member, announced in early April that it has changed its corporate name to Planalytics, Inc. The new identity, effective immediately, reflects the company's expanded mission as a supply chain planning portal serving three vertical markets: retail, agriculture, and energy.
"Planalytics is a more appropriate name to describe our current business and the areas we intend to pursue for future growth," said Frederic Fox, President and CEO.
"The name change is just one step in the seven-year evolution of our successful WeathernomicsSM technology to become the dominant provider of technologies that make our clients' supply chains more intelligent, more effective, and more profitable. "Planalytics is developing and commercializing a suite of technologies to augment the use of Weathernomics in existing planning and forecasting applications. These technologies are delivered via the Internet with data feeds and map-based, interactive visualizations and are compatible with existing planning applications. "Our technologies are the equivalent of non-invasive surgery because we data exchange with all major planning, forecasting, and ERP systems," said Fox. "We deliver solutions that create no problems because nothing changes except the plans and forecasts." Planalytics serves more than 150 of North America's largest and successful companies, including Cargill, Duraflame, W.W. Grainger, The Home Depot, Johnson Controls, Kmart, Lowe's, Nordstrom, Sears, Target Stores, Terminex, Wal-Mart, Warner Lambert, and Zeneca Ag Products.
*****
×
IN MEMORIAM Ø
Robert J. Bermowitz (1941-1999), a long time member of the NWA died on 24 November 1999. He
was born in Brooklyn, New York and received a B.A. from Brooklyn College in 1962. In 1966, he earned an M.S.
in Meteorology from New York University and subsequently completed postgraduate studies.
He began his career in the National Weather Service in 1967 joining the Techniques Development Laboratory
(TDL) in Silver Spring, Maryland. There he led a wide variety of efforts to improve local precipitation forecasting
through the use of numerical weather prediction models and statistical techniques. This included a project to initialize
a subsynoptic advection model with hourly observations and the eventual derivation of the first sets of Model Output
Statistics (MOS) for precipitation amount. In addition to his many studies and development of aids to operational
meteorology, he served (during the 80s) as coordinator for the highly successful undergraduate cooperative student
program at TDL. He clearly showed dedication to his profession and influenced many students to take on meteorology
careers. He moved to the NOAA Climate Program Office in the late 1980s and in 1990 moved up to the Climate Analysis
Center which eventually became the Climate Prediction Center of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction. As
the Regional Climate Centers program executive officer, he tirelessly strengthened their programs and ensured a smooth
transfer of administrative oversight of the RCC program to NOAA's National Climatic Data Center before he retired in
January 1998. He remained a dedicated runner, loyal supporter of New York City sports teams, and contributor to
community activities. Bob is survived by his wife, Sue, and two daughters, Amy and Beth.
*****
The Arkansas Chapter of the NWA met on 18 April and Chapter President George Wilken opened with
a brief business meeting. Attendees were polled for those who would be able to attend the next meeting at Today's
THV, Channel 11 in Little Rock, with host Meteorologist Ed Buckner. George also mentioned that the chapter picnic
would be in June for great food and fellowship.
George also presented the feature presentation, "Arkansas' Tornado Alley: The I-30/U.S. 67 Corridor." He first
reviewed statistics that had been gathered through the years both before the advent of the National Weather Service
and in most recent times. He pointed out some blank data areas where the population was sparse and spoke of how
the statistics might be taken with a "grain of salt". He pointed out some studies and predictions made by Dr. Ted Fujita
based on these statistics and how recent years in Arkansas have shown the futility of basing ideas on incomplete data.
George also briefed on how the Doppler radar had changed the reporting of tornadoes in that recognition of virtually every
storm was now possible and would supply much better statistics. He briefly reviewed the 1997 and 1999 outbreaks to
show tracks that fell, for the most part, along the "tornado alley" route.
A brief explanation of the Denver Cyclone (or Denver Convergence Zone) was then offered and a comparison made with
an area in north central Arkansas near the town of Oil Trough. Similarities were seen in the terrain orientation, although the
terrain elevation showed a much more gradual slope and lower uplift than what is seen in Colorado. In any event, a case was
made that more investigation should be made of this area to further see if a convergence zone does occur under certain wind
conditions as in Colorado. The Heart of the Midlands Chapter of the NWA met jointly with the Omaha-Offutt Air Force Base Chapter of the
AMS at Papillion-LaVista High School in Papillion, Nebraska on 29 February 2000. The occasion was our third annual Career
Night formally entitled, "Career Opportunities in the Atmospheric Sciences." Including the evening's panelists, a total of 70
people attended. The AMS Chapter President and NWA Chapter member, Ken Carey, opened the meeting by welcoming
members and special guests, and invited new members to introduce themselves. Among those introduced were Colonel Rich
Gaddy and his staff from the Air Force ROTC program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). Dr. Ken Dewey spoke
briefly about the NWA/NWS High Plains Technical Conference on Severe Weather scheduled for 4-6 October and the
Central Plains Severe Weather Symposium scheduled for 7 October 2000, both to be held at UNL and invited all to attend.
He noted that a keynote speaker list was now posted on the High Plains Climatology Center's (HPCC) Web Site:
http://hpccsun.unl.edu/nebraska/CPSWS.php.
Mark Lee, President, Heart of the Midlands Chapter reported the NWA chapter was in the midst of a “Membership Drive.”
Mr. Carey introduced the evening's panelists and provided a biographical sketch of each:
Each panelist summarized the type of meteorological work they did and talked about what they considered important for
pursuing a career in meteorology. Among other topics, Capt. Steen briefed on opportunities for scholarships in the military
and Dr. Anderson and Dr. Douglas emphasized the importance of education. Ms. Zapotocny agreed, stressing the importance
of math and science courses. Dr. Wegiel urged parents to support their children in career planning and told the students to
test all fields in meteorology until they find one that interests them the most. Mr. McKewon spoke about opportunities in private
industry, and Mr. Krist talked about working for an agency like OPPD. Mark Lee spoke about how to get started in the field
of media weathercasting, and reminded interested students that they would have to work their way up to a prestigious and
highly paid TV job.
Questions from attendees were widely varied and generated lively discussion which lasted for almost an hour. Topics included
how TV weathercasters come up with their forecasts and why they are sometimes so different; what classes should be important
for high school students to take; what colleges and universities offered meteorology degrees; shift work; and employment and
salary opportunities.
After discussions ended, Mr. Carey presented each panelist with a certificate of appreciation and a complimentary
membership for the 2000/2001 year in both The Heart of the Midlands Chapter, NWA, and the Omaha-Offutt AMS Chapter. New Chapter Organizing -
Members in southeastern New England interested in joining a new NWA chapter are asked to contact Frank
Nocera of the NWS Forecast Office in Taunton, MA at (508) 823-2242 or e-mail:
Frank.Nocera@noaa.gov or ftnocera@juno.com
*****
The 4th Annual Great Divide Workshop will be held 12-14 September 2000 in Great Falls, Montana. The National
Weather Service Office in Great Falls is sponsoring this workshop focused to exchange weather and hydrologic forecasting
information unique to the northern Rockies and High Plains. A block of rooms has been set aside at the TownHouse Inns of
Montana, the location of the workshop. Please make your hotel reservations by 29 August by calling TownHouse Inns at
(406) 761-4600, or (800) 442-INNS (4667). Don't forget to say that you are registering for the National Weather Service
Workshop. The cost is $55.00 for a single room, and $65.00 for a double occupancy room. There will be a $10.00 surcharge
per room for each additional adult. Shuttle service is provided to and from the airport. Several restaurants are available within
walking distance of the TownHouse Inns. A banquet is planned for Tuesday evening. The cost of this banquet is
approximately $15.00 each, which will be collected when you sign in Tuesday morning. Prospective speakers are encouraged
to submit a short abstract no later than 10 August 2000 to: National Weather Service Forecast Office, Attn: Paul Eyssautier,
5324 Tri-Hill Frontage Road, Great Falls MT (USA) 59404-4933. Further information and registration forms are on the Web site:
www.wrh.noaa.gov/greatfalls
Second Southwest Weather Symposium, September 21 - 22, 2000 in Tucson, Arizona. The symposium will be
cosponsored by the National Weather Service, the University of Arizona, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, and COMET.
The American Meteorological Society and the National Weather Association are cooperating organizations. The purpose of
the symposium is to bring together operational forecasters, academic professors, researchers, and climatologists who are
interested in the weather and climate of the southwest U.S. and northwestern Mexico. The symposium will provide a forum for
presentation and discussion of work that considers midlatitude, subtropical, and tropical weather and precipitation systems
that affect the southwest U.S. and northern Mexico. Because of the wide range of climate zones in this region, i.e., arid deserts
to forested high mountains, the breadth of relevant topics is large. Regardless of the topics presented, the symposium emphasis
will be upon studies relevant to all temporal scales of operational analysis and forecasting. The two-day symposium will include
invited talks, oral and poster presentations, and open discussions. Abstracts should be submitted by 15 June 2000 via the
symposium Web page: www.atmo.arizona.edu/swws/swws.php
Air Weather Association Reunion, 20 -24 Sept 2000, Imperial Palace Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada.
For information, browse to Web site: www.airweaassn.org.
*****
14-20 October 2000 The National Weather Association's 25th Annual Meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn Silver Spring
Conference Center, 8777 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland, 20910. The Annual Meeting Coordinator
is Steve Harned, NWS Forecast Office, Raleigh, NC, (919) 515-8209x222,
Stephen.Harned@noaa.gov. The Program Chairperson is Gail Hartfield,
NWSFO, Raleigh, NC, (919) 515-8209x420, Gail.Hartfield@noaa.gov
or gailhs@mindspring.com.
The deadline for submission of abstracts was 1 June and the preliminary program will be posted on the NWA Web
site as soon as possible. Broadcaster Workshops are being planned for late afternoon on the 14th and on Sunday the
15th; an Aviation Workshop is also being planned for the 15th. Keynote addresses will open the general sessions on
Monday, the 16th. Sessions will end by mid-day Friday, 20 October. On Sunday evening, a welcome wine/cheese
reception and the Annual Tape Swap will be held. The Annual Awards will be presented at a luncheon on Tuesday
the 17th and the 25th Anniversary Banquet will be held on Wednesday evening.
HOTEL INFORMATION: Please make your reservations before 23 September 2000. The main conference hotel
will be the Holiday Inn, 8777 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring, Maryland. A block of rooms has been reserved at discount
rates: $115.00 single/double, $99.00 for seniors (65 and older). To reserve a room, please call the hotel direct at
(301) 589-0800 and mention "NWA Annual Meeting 2000." A small block of rooms has also been reserved at the
Town Center Hotel, 8727 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, Maryland. Discount rates are: $75.00 single/double, $59
for seniors (65 and older). To reserve a room, please call the hotel direct at (301) 589-5200 and mention "NWA
Annual Meeting 2000." Both hotels are owned by Lodgian, Inc., both are near the NWS Headquarters building and
about three blocks from the Silver Spring Metro (red line). The hotels are approximately 14 miles from the Ronald
Reagan National Airport, 16 miles from Dulles International Airport and 25 miles from B.W.I. Airport.
Additional information to include individual registration forms will be available in later Newsletters and on the
NWA Web site (www.nwas.org). For exhibit booth accommodations and any other planning information, please
contact the NWA office at (334) 213-0388 or NatWeaAsoc@aol.com.
Plan now to attend this 25th Anniversary celebration!
*****
Ed: Instead of listing the jobs that were available in June-July 2000, please
browse to www.nwas.org/jobs.php for the most current jobs.
*****
Several new training links have been added to the Meteorological Training and Professional Development Links,
located on the NWA Training Committee's Web site. Since we are still in the midst of the peak severe weather season,
the focus for this month's training corner will be the newly-added Severe Weather links:
AND FOR AVIATION METEOROLOGY — In cooperation with the US Navy, Air Force, and National Weather
Service, COMET is developing forecaster training on icing and fog hazards. All of the instructional components are
within two Professional Development Series (PDSs): 1) Forecasting Aviation Icing, and 2) Forecasting Low Clouds
and Fog for Aviation Operations.
COMET aviation training is aimed at forecasters who must analyze and predict both icing, and low ceiling and
visibility conditions. Generally, each module presents basic concepts that are reinforced with case study examples
and exercises. The material includes frequent illustrations and is interactive. Completed components in the icing
series are the following Web-based modules: 1) Icing Type and Severity; 2) Icing Assessment Using Soundings
and Wind Profiles, and 3) Icing Assessment Using Observations and Pilot Reports
The first module in the Low Clouds and Fog PDS was recently completed and is titled Radiation Fog. This
module is also Web-based. Details on all of the PDSs can be found at Web site:
www.meted.ucar.edu/profdev.htm.
Access these new training links through the NWA Homepage by going to www.nwas.org;
click on “NWA Committees,” then “Training Committee,” and then click on the “Training Links Page.” Enjoy! *****
The NWA Electronic Journal of Operational Meteorology has published its first paper on the NWA Web site:
www.nwas.org. An F3 tornado in Heidelberg, South Africa on 21 October
1999 by Estelle de Coning, et al., South African Weather Bureau, was posted online on 16 May 2000. Another
paper is currently in the review process. For the present time, articles will be posted on the journal Web pages
as they are approved by the editors for publication. They will also be headlined on the main NWA Homepage
and listed in the Newsletter.
Papers continue to be solicited for the Electronic Journal. The goal of the e-journal is to publish papers that
are uniquely suited to online publication by their use of color graphics, animations, or other electronic figures or
media. E-papers should be sent to Jeffrey Craven (jeffrey.craven@noaa.gov).
Submissions can be on 3.5" disks, e-mail, or e-mail attachments. A URL may be sent instead if the article is already coded in
HTML on a Web server. Images should be in either .jpg or .gif format. Other electronic file transfer options (e.g., ftp) are
available upon request.
*****
The Natural Hazards Research and Applications Information Center at the University of Colorado recently published
Quick Response #116, Warning Response and Risk Behavior in the Oak Grove - Birmingham, Alabama, Tornado Of 08
April 1998, by David R. Legates, Ph. D., Department of Geography, University of Delaware and Matthew D. Biddle, M.A.,
The Tornado Project - St Johnsbury, VT, c/o University of Oklahoma, Department of Geography, Norman, Oklahoma. The report
is on Web site: www.Colorado.EDU/hazards/qr/qr116/qr116.php
Significant items from the abstract — On 08 April 1998, a long-track violent tornado killed 32 people and injured 300 in
Jefferson County, Alabama, near Birmingham. Within one week of the disaster, field surveys were collected from persons
residing or working within the damage area (n=65) regarding their actions, and the actions of those in their care or company
(n=232). Similar data were obtained for the fatalities (n=32). Major risk factors for death included living in a wooden house,
a house with walls not anchored to the foundation, becoming airborne, and being elderly. Risk factors for survival included
taking shelter below ground, having access to, and consulting televised warning information, being aware of the tornado
watch, and familiarity with sources of weather information in general. *****
Collaborative Convective Forecast Project (CCFP) now online. The National Weather Service (NWS) is supporting
a joint effort by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and system users to reduce the impacts of weather on flight
operations. It is estimated that 70% of flight delays are caused by weather. The Aviation Weather Center (AWC) in Kansas
City went online with the new CCFP on 1 April 2000.
Thunderstorms and lines of heavy rain showers are the most disruptive weather features affecting the operation of
aircraft within the National Airspace System. The CCFP provides an alternative to conventional aviation weather forecast
products by tailoring its product to the strategic needs of air traffic management. Collaboratively produced by the NWS, the
FAA and numerous airline meteorological departments, all participants have agreed to use the CCFP as their basis for air
traffic management planning in an effort to minimize disruptions due to weather. The CCFP is an extended forecast of
thunderstorms with a lead time of 2, 4 or 6 hours and is presented in graphical form. Technical resources for the forecasts
come from computer models and forecaster analysis tools. A most important factor is the collaboration among the participants.
Within the collaborative decision making framework, the CCFP process starts at the AWC in Kansas City. A meteorologist
produces an initial forecast for convective activity. The forecast evolves into a final product after the collaboration of
meteorologists from commercial airlines and the NWS Center Weather Service Units, and the FAA personnel at the National
Air Traffic Control System Command Center (ATCSCC) in Herndon, VA. The exchange of information within the Internet
CCFP "chat room" is the key to the process. Each party involved has access to all that is known about prevailing conditions
and numerical models at any given time. The "chat room" provides the medium for participants to discuss and analyze available
weather information to arrive at a final product for many users.
This new official product is to help the aviation community make the best use of scarce resources such as runways,
terminal gates and high traffic routes. It is expected to lead to a reduction in delays, reroutes and cancellations influenced
by convective events. Produced with input and deliberation of all participants, and issued by the NWS/NCEP/Aviation
Weather Center, the CCFP is now available at Web site: ftb1.kc.noaa.gov/ccfp/
The Aviation Digital Data Service (ADDS) is funded by the FAA Aviation Weather Research Program (AWRP)
and developed by the Aviation Gridded Forecast System (AGFS) Product Development Team. ADDS makes available
to the aviation community digital and graphical analyses, forecasts and observations of meteorological variables. Developed as
the data distribution component of the AGFS, ADDS is a joint effort of NOAA Forecast Systems Laboratory (FSL), NCAR Research
Applications Program (RAP), and the NWS/National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Aviation Weather Center (AWC).
View the products at Web site: adds.aviationweather.noaa.gov
*****
16 June: NWA METSAT Award
National Weather Association — Supporting and Promoting Excellence in Operational Meteorology and Related Activities
for 25 Years (1975-2000).
LOCAL CHAPTER NEWS
- Newton Skiles, Corresponding Secretary
- Ralph Hanson, Secretary/Treasurer, Heart of the Midlands Chapter, NWA, with accolades to Tammy Farrar, Corresponding
Secretary, Omaha-Offutt AMS Chapter.
MEETINGS OF INTEREST
NWA 25TH ANNIVERSARY MEETING UPDATE
Celebrating 25 Years of Success in the NWA
JOB CORNER
TRAINING CORNER: More Great Operational Meteorology Training Materials Now Online!
- Gail Hartfield, NWA Training Committee Chairperson
Inaugural Electronic Paper Published in New NWA Online Journal
- Alan Gerard, Weather Analysis & Forecasting Committee Chairperson
MORE ON HUMAN RESPONSE TO SEVERE WEATHER WARNINGS (topic continued from March Newsletter)
- Thanks to Joe Schaefer for alerting us to this Web site report
AVIATION MET NEWS
DATES TO REMEMBER
30 June: NWA ANNUAL Awards
1 August: NWA Education Grants to Teachers
14-20 October: NWA 25th Anniversary Meeting
Broadcasters Seal
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Annual Meetings
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· 2009 Norfolk VA
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