The Black Hole of Weather Observations, or Where Do those Messages Go?

    As I write this article, someone at sea, somewhere in the world, is preparing a formatted weather observation to be sent to the National Weather Service (NWS). These encoded weather messages, transmitted every 3 or 6 hours, result in a stream of information that navigates its way to marine forecasters in the NWS, U.S. Navy, the private sector, and others, and to forecasters worldwide via the Global Telecommunications System. These observations are also entered into the National Meteorological Center's (NMC) numerical models of the ocean and atmosphere for the production of forecast guidance products, and are archived by NOAA's National Climatic Data Center and National Oceanographic Data Center. The observations are also used by the Navy's Fleet Numerical Meteorology Oceanography Center (FNMOC) computer models.

    This stream of data can include up to 1400 weather observations each day that are transmitted to shore, routed to NWS, processed, counted, and distributed to the world. Not included in this total are the informal MAriner REPorts (MAREPs) that mariners transmit to cooperative coast radio stations such as those in Alaska, Washington, and Delaware who forward these reports to the local NWS forecast office.

    All ships know the first step of the delivery process which is to send the weather observations to shore. There are commercial radio stations such as KFS World Communications in California and Louisiana, WLO Mobile Marine Radio in Alabama, U.S. Coast Guard Communications Stations and Groups, that receive observations and forward them to the NWS.

    WLC Radio was unique as a weather collection and distribution facility as it served only the Great Lakes area. Once the weather observation is received by WLC, it is entered into the Remote Observation System Automation (ROSA) - a store and forward computer that is linked with the NWS Automation of Field Operations and Services (AFOS) communication system. AFOS then forwards information gathered by ROSA to the NWS Gateway Ship Database System in Silver Spring, Maryland. Ultimately, all weather messages will make an intermediate stop at the Gateway (from 1 to 20 minutes) prior to distribution to forecasters, numerical computer models, and archiving centers.

    Weather observations transmitted to other private coastal radio stations take another path to the NWS Gateway. The observations are prepared in a different format - one that can be read and forwarded by a telex company - and forwarded to the NOAA Message Center which is also located in Silver Spring, Maryland. The Message Center delivers the observations to the Gateway where they are entered into the Ship Database System for processing. To see all the paths click on