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Ray Wolf, WFO Quad Cities, IA, Science and Operations Officer, discusses the July 19, 2005, issuance of the U.S. Drought Monitor at a recent News Conference hosted in their office conference room. The Quad Cities staff took a proactive approach in organizing the conference in anticipation of the July 19, 2005, release of the U.S. Drought Monitor, which was to include parts of eastern Iowa and northwest Illinois in the "extreme" drought category. The agenda was developed through collaboration between WFO Quad Cities, the Illinois State Water Survey, Iowa State University Agricultural Extension Office, and the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. The speakers attending from these agencies discussed the current U.S. Drought Monitor, recent rainfall and comparison to past droughts, and the short and long-range climate and weather outlooks. The droughts impact on agricultural, yard and garden, and hydrologic interests were also addressed.
"This is a great example of dedicated customer service," said Steve Kuhl, WFO Quad Cities MIC. "I was very pleased when our SOO and WCM took the initiative to organize this news conference. The information we provided our customers will help them make more informed decisions on how best to handle these dry conditions." The Conference was well attended by local media, including seven TV stations, two radio stations, and several newspapers. |
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On Thursday, July 7, 2005, employees from WFO Jackson, MS, went to Girl Scout Camp Wahi in Brandon for a couple of hours to talk with the young ladies about the local National Weather Service office. HMT Winston Gilmore and Meteorological Intern Lora Mueller spoke with about 30 young ladies about the history of the NWS, history of the local office, daily operations, and safety issues. Several of the scouts were preparing for their leadership badges, so they were taught first how to plot hurricanes and then assisted Gilmore and Mueller in teaching the other girls how to plot the latest coordinates for Hurricane Dennis which made landfall just a few days later on the Florida coast. Each was given a hurricane tracking chart and the latest coordinates from the National Hurricane Center's forecast that morning. After plotting the coordinates, questions were asked about hurricane safety, tornadoes, and weather radios. A few relayed stories of experiences with tornadoes in recent years. Then the camp director asked about educational requirements for meteorologists and career options in the National Weather Service.
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Electronics Technician, Bill Chromik, shows students some of the hardware at the WFO Albany, NY WSR-88D site in East Berne, NY. WFO Albany, NY, hosted the Center for Urban Youth and Technology (CUYT), School of Education, University at Albany, State University of New York Summer Institute July 20-27, 2005. The WFO Albany CUYT Summer Institute modules included lectures and tours at the forecast office, a balloon launch, and a visit to the radar site. The CUYT's Summer Institute provides academic instruction, scientific experiments, tutoring, counseling, field trips, and other enrichment activities to enhance student's interest and potential for college level study. Photo by John Durant, Electronics Systems Analyst, NWS Albany, NY. |
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WFO New York City held its annual open house July 10, 2005, and welcomed more than 1,100 visitors. The open house was part of Brookhaven National Lab's Summer Sundays Tours. WFO tours included real time briefings of Hurricane Dennis making landfall. People visited with partners and customers who set up displays, including the Suffolk County Office of Emergency Management and the American Red Cross (ARC), Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT), three U.S. Power Squadrons (District 3), Cooperative Weather Observers, Amateur Radio Organizations, and the American Meteorological Society. The day ended with a countdown to the 3:30 p.m. radiosonde launch, which was attended by about 500 people. |
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Staff of the Hydrology Laboratory (Office of Hydrologic Development) and National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) examine an All-Weather Precipitation Accumulation Gauge (AWPAG) currently being tested at the NDBC Test Facility in Sterling, Virginia. The two groups met to discuss recent advances in rain gauge technology and methods of automated quality control. The AWPAG promises to be more reliable in cold-weather situations than the current standard tipping-bucket gauge mechanism. From left are: Shucai Guan, Kiran Shrestha, Dennis Miller, Michael Salyards, David Kitzmiller, and Richard Fulton. Photo by David Riley. |
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The mascot for the Iowa Cubs, "Cubbie Bear" visited WFO Des Moines, IA, recently in support of Lightning Safety Awareness Week. Cubbie Bear supported and promoted Lightning Awareness and Safety for children and adults. Pictured with Cubbie Bear are office staff and several staff members children. The Iowa Cubs are a Class AAA minor league baseball team playing in the Pacific Coast League and affiliated with the Chicago Cubs.
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