The National Weather Service Training Center has posted an on-line ASOS System Manager Course, elements of which are useful for all operational meteorologists who regularly use ASOS observations. Lesson 2 compares the ASOS and human observation processes. Lesson 3 describes the ASOS algorithms. Lesson 6 (available before summer) will review ASOS quality control. To find complete descriptions and download information, go to:
The NWS western region has submitted a formal request asking for approval to move the Los Angeles Civic Center ASOS to the University of Southern California campus (non-rooftop). The current rooftop exposure is the reason for the change request. You can monitor the change requests and implementation schedules for ASOS sensors at the following site:
Two case studies posted on the web review the meteorological conditions surrounding two "under-forecasted" snow storms, one in the east and one in the west, and the possible connection of conditional symmetric instability to each event.
http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/goes/misc/990309.html reviews the mid-Atlantic snow event of March 9, 1999.
Larry Dunn of the Salt Lake City NWS Forecast Office reviews the March 4, 1999, snow event over the Wasatch Front in Technical Attachment 99-05, viewable at:
Between April 20, 1999, and June 22, 1999, NWS Forecast Offices will be participating in an audio teletraining lesson on the propagation of MCS's. If you are an operational meteorologist and would be interested in attending a session at your local WFO, contact your local NWS Scientific Operations Officer (SOO) to find out when his/her office has scheduled the two hour lesson. More information on the course is available at:
Does the current U.S. profiler network assist you in improving your forecast service to clients? If so, you just might want to drop an e-mail to Rick Decker (Rick.Decker@noaa.gov) with some whys and wherefores. The NWS is again examining future funding for this network and its utility to the user community.
An informative web zine on the societal aspects of weather has been posted by Dr. Roger Pielke of the University Center for Atmospheric Research. Articles cover issues such as catastrophe models and the economic costs of extreme weather. All this and more at...
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