NOAA's NWS Focus - June 10, 2002

NWS Begins Delivering Real-Time Weather Radar to Air Traffic Controllers

Air traffic controllers in Fort Worth, TX, for the first time are seeing high-resolution information from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)/NWS weather radar network on their radar displays, along with normal aircraft positional data.

NWS has worked extensively with the FAA's Weather and Radar Processor (WARP) team to deliver this new capability, which reached initial operational status at the FAA's Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) in Fort Worth, TX, on May 20, 2002.

"This real-time radar data will allow controllers to more accurately route air traffic around thunderstorms," said Mark Andrews, Aviation Program Manager, NWS Office of Climate, Water, and Weather Services.

Full operational status is expected to be reached in Fort Worth on June 19, 2002. The FAA plans on installing this system upgrade to the remaining 20 ARTCC's during the rest of 2002 and early 2003. The FAA held a news conference on the new radar capability in Fort Worth on June 6. Click here to read the FAA news release.

Challenging forecast problems that arise during the summer season are the focus of some new training courses available to NWS forecasters through Cooperative Program for Operational Meteorology, Education and Training (COMET).

"Maintaining our skills and knowledge of seasonal forecasting events is essential to providing high quality service to our customers," said Greg Mandt, Director of the Office of Climate, Water, and Weather Services.

Fire Weather Forecasting is among the training courses offered on compact disc from COMET. LeRoy Spayd, Chief of the COMET Branch of the Training Division, notes "This CD provides learners with the opportunity to go through several cases which simulate customer interactions while following a process for formulating two types of fire weather products."

COMET has also just released another course to prepare for hurricanes: Community Hurricane Preparedness training targeted for emergency managers in English and Spanish.

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New Weather Event Simulator Guide Available

The Office of Climate, Water, and Weather Service's Warning Decision Training Branch (WDTB) in Norman, OK, has released a Weather Event Simulator (WES) Simulation Guide covering the August 11, 1999, Salt Lake City severe weather event. This event challenges forecasters to maintain situational awareness under challenging circumstances. The guide provides four WES simulation examples. Each simulation includes a training objective, a training methodology, and evaluation criteria. Each simulation can stand by itself and averages between 8 and 20 pages in length. This guide can also be used as an effective template for developing local WES simulations. For a copy, see your local Science and Operations Officer or contact WDTB's Ed Mahoney at ed.mahoney@noaa.gov.

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Working Together to Save Lives:
Computer Game Teaches Hurricane Safety

An interactive computer module which teaches hurricane safety and preparedness using a virtual family is the result of a cooperative effort between the NWS and other groups.

NWS, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Cooperative Program for Operational Meteorology, Education, and Training (COMET) cooperatively produced the interactive computer module primarily for a middle school student audience.

In Hurricane Strike! the student becomes a visitor to a virtual Florida home. Just as he or she arrives, the Weather Channel announces the approach of Tropical Storm Erin on the TV set in the living room.

The storm intensifies over a six-day period (as seen in subsequent weather reports) and on each day the student must perform tasks to prepare for the hurricane. The family's laptop computer becomes a means of investigating hurricanes from a scientific perspective. One scientific activity allows the student to move around and through the storm in three-dimensions. One of the safety tasks requires the student to choose grocery store items that the family might need if the hurricane strikes.

"This is the best kind of educational material," said Scott Kiser, NOAA Hurricane Program Manager. "It teaches students and their parents the principles of hurricane safety and preparedness, but it's also a lot of fun."

The Hurricane Strike! CD-ROM will be distributed in late June to Weather Forecast Offices and the American Meteorology Society's national network of science teachers. The module will also be available on the COMET Program's web site. A teacher's guide is included, along with printable worksheets that can be used to test a student's knowledge at various points.

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NWS's Collaborative Convective Forecast Product (CCFP) Receives Kudos

Delta Airlines and two Central Weather Service Units (CWSUs) recently praised the NWS's Aviation Weather Center's (AWC's) CCFP through online feedback.

"I have noticed a trend by most, if not all AWC forecasters to conduct the chat sessions in a much more professional manner. Collaboration appears to be running at higher efficiency and with a much more open attitude than during the prior year," said Howard Bookman of CWSU ZTL (Atlanta) on June 1. Lyle Alexander of CWSU ZID (Indianapolis) agreed, "I would have to say there is a marked improvement in the accuracy [of the CCFP]. I believe this is reflected in the entire staff. A few years of experience helps a great deal."

The CCFP consists of two-, four-, and six-hour forecasts of thunderstorm coverage showing indications of growth potential and probability of occurrence. An initial forecast, produced at the AWC, evolves into a final product through collaboration with participating meteorologists from the airlines and CWSUs.

"Let me add my name to the comments and praises of Howard and Lyle about the professionalism of the AWC CCFP forecasters/moderators," said Don Stewart, Senior Meteorologist with Delta Airlines on June 3. "They have a tough, tough job and are doing a fine job! It's very hard to moderate a compromise between two very differing opinions."

The CCFP is in its third season.

Forecast Office Partners with Middle Schools on "Project Weather Watch"

During the 2001-2002 school year, the Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Shreveport, LA, partnered with several area middle schools and the Alliance for Education in an effort called "Project Weather Watch." Students and teachers experienced hands-on activities with various weather instruments, while NWS meteorologists served as mentors for the participating schools throughout the program. Click here for more details and photos from Project Weather Watch.

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Leave Donation Web Site Online

The Department of Commerce has posted guidelines and policies for the Leave Donor Transfer Program on their Office of Human Resources Management site.

News Release Highlights

Here are some recent news releases from the NOAA Office of Public Affairs.

• CONDITIONS FUEL EL NIÑO DEVELOPMENT (June 6, 2002)

• COMMERCE AWARDS NEW CLIMATE AND WEATHER SUPERCOMPUTER CONTRACT TO IBM (May 31, 2002)