WFO Reno, as part of the National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , pledges to uphold the NWS Mission in western Nevada and northeast California. We maintain and operate all NWS programs that allow us to accomplish this mission.  Following are are descriptions of some of these programs:

• Public Forecast
  • Warning and Hazards
  • Aviation
  • Hydrology
  • Fire Weather
  • Research
  • Climate
  • EEO/Diversity
  • Spotter Program

Public Forecast Program

Weather Forecast Office (WFO) Reno's County Warning and Forecast Area (CWFA) includes western Nevada and much of northeast California. In California, it includes all of Mono and Lassen counties and that portion of the following counties that are east of the Sierra Nevada crest:  Alpine, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sierra and Plumas.  Surprise Valley in eastern Modoc County is also in our CWFA.  The shift Forecaster-In-Charge (FIC) at WFO Reno has overall responsibility for quality control and consistency of all products issued by this office.

 

 

Warning and Hazards Program

Some of the duties of the Warning Coordination Meteorologist (WCM) within this program are:

A. Within the State Of Nevada

maintain NWS liaison with:
  •  Nevada Office of Emergency Management
  •  Nevada Highway Patrol
  •  Nevada Department of Transportation
  •  All counties in the WFO Reno CWA
  •  ensure successful watch/warning/advisory dissemination and response at State and County level via the NWWS/NCJIS interface (Nevada Criminal Justice Information System) and NAWAS.

 

B. Within the State of California
maintain NWS liaison with:
  •  California Office of Emergency Services
  •  California Highway Patrol
  •  California Department of Transportation
  •  All California counties in WFO Reno's CWA
  •  ensure successful watch/warning/advisory dissemination and response at State and County level via the NWWS/CLETS interface (California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System) and NAWAS.

 

C. Within NWS
  •  coordinate with other NWS offices
  •  exchange information and suggestions with other NWS offices, especially those in Nevada
  •  help define and implement policy within the WFO
  •  principle assistant to Meteorologist in Charge to maintain/improve the warning program throughout the CWA
  •  maintain and grow the WFO Reno spotter network
  •  maintain/improve liaison with local emergency management/public safety officials.
  •  improve warning response by local emergency response/public safety agencies
  •  maintain/improve relationship with local media
  •  maintain/improve watch/warning/advisory dissemination procedures
  •  expand NOAA Weather Radio network in County Warning Area
  •  encourage NOAA Weather Radio use by the public
  •  encourage use of NOAA Weather Radio by local emergency response/public safety/public service agencies as an "all hazards" information source
  •  work with Science and Operations Officer in conducting station drills
  •  work with local and state emergency management officials in conducting table top exercises and system-wide drills
  •  maintain/improve local EAS operational plan
  •  maintain/improve NWS involvement in local emergency management groups such as LEPC'S.
  •  in conjunction with others, conduct quality control programs on all WFO Reno products and services
  •  responsible for issuance of monthly Storm Data report for Nevada and eastern California, including warning verification
  •  maintain Station Duty Manual and other local instructions
  •  ensure that all warning software is operational and staff is proficient in it's use
  •  maintain public awareness/education program; maintain NWS visibility in County Warning Area

 

Aviation Program

This program is administered by the Aviation Program Leader and Aviation Liaison Officer. They work closely together to provide the necessary leadership required to produce quality and timely aviation products for western Nevada and eastern California and portions of southeast Oregon and southwest Idaho.

 

Primary Duties include:

• In coordination with the Weather Service Evaluations Officer identify, and present solutions to potential problems concerning the aviation program at WFO Reno.

• Oversee that all routine aviation duties are accomplished in a professional and timely manner. And that all products are prepared in accordance with NWS regulations.

• To quality control all aviation products for correct format and content in accordance with NWS guidelines, ensuring consistency between Public and Aviation products.

• Acts as an intermediary between local management and the operational staff concerning aviation program changes.

• Assists the Aviation Liaison Officer in providing public service and training to local groups, primarily aviation oriented, through talks and seminars.

• Provides input to local management, Regional and National Headquarters on potential changes to the program.

• Maintains all operations manuals and pertinent portions of the Station Duty Manual dealing with aviation.

• Maintains the current aviation shift duties list.

• Responsible for keeping 30 days of Terminal Forecasts and Transcribed Weather Broadcasts on file and aircraft accident reports for one year.

• Maintains a Aviation Emergency Operation binder to be used as a quick reference in emergency situations.

• Responsible for the overall training and certification of new arrived forecasters and interns.

• Provides aviation related items to the Science and Operations Officer for use in station drills.

 

 

Hydrology Program

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

WFO Reno is responsible for carrying out the duties of the NWS Hydrologic Services Program (HSP) within its Hydrologic Services Area (HSA). The HSA includes all rivers in the WFO Reno CWFA.  The rivers in this area include the Truckee, Carson, Walker, Susan and lower Humboldt, as well as their many tributaries. Small streams not part of these basins are also included. This entire area is under the California-Nevada River Forecast Center's area of responsibility.   The Service Hydrologist (SH) at WFO Reno is responsible for ensuring that operations of the HSP are successfully met.

The ability of WFO Reno staff to use necessary guidance and data to issue timely, accurate, concise flood and flash flood warnings and statements are the highest priority of the SH. Maintenance of this ability involves other very important responsibilities of the SH, some of which include:

• Maintenance of hydrologic instructions and procedures for use by staff;

• Training of staff in specific hydrologic operations of the office as well as general hydrologic principles;

• Quality control of all hydrologic data and guidance;

• Striving to ensure that hydrologic data and guidance is in a format which gives a clear understanding of the hydrologic situation so that quick, accurate decisions can be made by operational staff,

• Ensuring instrumentation, hardware and software which are used to provide, transmit, receive and display hydrometeorological data and guidance is working properly.

• Maintaining a close working relationship with Federal, State and local agencies and the media in the HSA is extremely important to ensure NWS hydrologic products are received, understood, and properly acted upon by emergency services agencies, the media, and the general public.

 

Fire Weather Program

Primary Responsibilities:

WFO Reno provides specialized meteorological support to land management agencies engaged in wildland fire protection and control activities for the state of Nevada and a portion of eastern California. The fire season typically runs from June through mid-October, but fire weather services may be required as early as mid-April and extend through mid-November in some years. Our customers include the Toiyabe and Humboldt National Forests, Bureau of Land Management, Nevada Division of Forestry, the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, California Department of Forestry, National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and various other state and local agencies. During the fire weather season narrative fire weather forecasts are issued twice daily, National Fire Danger Rating System trend forecasts are issued each afternoon, and spot forecasts are issued upon request. In addition to routine meteorological support, WFO Reno also provides on-site meteorologists to large wildfires. A fire Weather Operations Plan and Fire Weather Summary are provided to customers annually. Other duties include training and liaison activities during and after the fire season. The program is directed by a fire weather program leader under the supervision of the Meteorologist in Charge and with assistance from the WFO Reno forecast staff.

 

Research Program

With the on-going new developments in research and technologies, research has become a major focus at WFO Reno. The Science and Operations Officer (SOO) is the program leader, who oversees and tracks research activities in the office. Research is also a factor in professional development, not only for the forecast staff, but as an element in the training program for meteorologist interns. All office staff is encouraged to participate.

There are several data sources in the office, as well as at the nearby Desert Research Institute (DRI), that can provide the meteorologist with the necessary information for research. These include data sets on CD ROMS on the Professional Development Workstation, local archived data, and the availability of archived data at the Western Region Climate Center at DRI.  Other unique data sets include WSR-88D Archive Level II and IV, satellite, and hydrometeorological data. Four areas of research activities are currently part of the office research program. These are:

• local studies, seminars;

• technical attachments, technical memorandum, and programming notes;

• conference papers, journal articles; and

• COMET Cooperative and Partners Projects.

 

Any staff member who desires to participate in or undertake a research project is encouraged to discuss their plans with the Science and Operations Officer.

 

 

Climatology Program

The purpose of the Climatology program is to provide a comprehensive climatological data base ensuring quality services for NWS customers. Various types of climatic data are stored at WFO Reno: Local Climatological Data (LCD) for Elko, Ely, Las Vegas, Reno, and Winnemucca, Nevada and California State Climatological Summaries, Nevada Hourly Precipitation Data, Reno observations, cooperative observer data, and compact disks are available with world Climatology. Temperature and precipitation records are available for Reno since the 1870's and have been rank ordered so office staff may easily discern record events. Public announcements are periodically disseminated when record events have occurred. All climatic data is updated on a monthly basis.

 

 

EEO/Diversity Program

The EEO/Diversity program has taken an outreach approach to both the public and the office.  Diversity acknowledges each individual's differences and needs without focusing on race, gender, religion, age, or disabilities. On the public level, outreach is performed from school age children to senior citizens. Station tours, presentations, attendance at special community functions, and curriculum enhancement are only a few examples of WFO Reno's public outreach. WFO Reno has taken great steps towards fostering a unified and enhanced working environment where individual ideas are implemented as frequently as possible.

 

Spotter Program

Our spotter program is a system of volunteers become the "eyes and ears" of the National Weather Service by alerting us to significant weather events in their areas, and help us determine when and where we need to issue warnings, or help to verify warnings that were already issued. Spotters attend a spotter class where they are taught what to look for, and when to call in with a spotter report. Pleasant weather usually dominates Nevada and eastern California, but even we are susceptible to severe weather. Thunderstorms can produce flash flooding, damaging winds, hail and even tornadoes. Winter storms can bring high winds, heavy snow and river flooding. To effectively warn for the protection of life and property, the National Weather Service must have a thorough handle on current weather conditions throughout Nevada and eastern California. Unfortunately, long distances separate National Weather Service offices. Although weather satellites and Doppler weather radar use the latest technology to provide a wealth of information to forecasters, no tool has yet been developed that can replace a human observation of the weather in a local area at a specific time.