Public Invited to Visit New Baltimore/Washington Weather Forecast Office During Open House Community Day Oct. 18-19
NOAA’s National Weather Service’s new Baltimore/Washington Forecast Office will open its doors to the public for two days this fall to celebrate its new location in Sterling, Va.
This is a great opportunity for families and youth organizations to tour their local weather forecast office to meet the staff, find out about local weather vulnerabilities and preparedness tips, and see first-hand how meteorologists develop forecasts and severe weather warnings and deliver them to the public.
WHAT:
Open house community day & building dedication ceremony.
WHEN:
Sat., Oct. 18, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. EDT
Sun., Oct. 19, noon - 5:00 p.m. EDT
(Dedication ceremony on Saturday)
WHERE:
NOAA’s National Weather Service
Baltimore/Washington Weather Forecast Office
43858 Weather Service Road (off Old Ox Road, adjacent to Dulles Airport)
Sterling, Va. 20166
ACTIVITIES:
- See demonstrations of cutting-edge technology and techniques used in weather forecasting
- Take a tour of the facility, including upgraded “green” features of the new building
- Visit exhibits by local emergency managers
- Participate in weather balloon launches
- Meet and greet the office’s 25 staff members
- Walk into a heating chamber to feel a 130-degree environment
- Watch as the “world’s tallest icicle” forms in a cold chamber
- Visit NOAA’s state-of-the-art testing and evaluation center to see how the agency tests its products for durability against a number of atmospheric conditions
The Baltimore/Washington Weather Forecast Office, one of 122 in the United States, issues weather and water forecasts, watches and warnings to nearly nine million people in the Washington, D.C. metro area. The office is relocating one-half mile to make way for Dulles airport’s runway expansion.
NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources.