Contact: Barry Reichenbaugh FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(301) 713-0622 4/11/95
Daily forecasts of ultraviolet exposure will continue for 58 U.S. cities this summer under a joint program begun last June by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
NOAA's National Weather Service (NWS) will continue issuing a "base line" UV Index for 58 cities in the U.S., but will not expand this basic product. The weather service will encourage private sector meteorologists to make similar UV Indices widely available across the country. In the spirit of our ongoing strong public/private partnership, the NWS will continue to work with the private sector to ensure the best distribution of the UV index.
"Following the request of the EPA and CDC for a Federal UV program, the National Weather Service has provided these valuable public safety messages consistent with our mission to issue forecasts that make a difference in the health and safety of Americans," said Elbert W. Friday, Jr., director of the National Weather Service.
Friday added that the weather service will continue to ensure that "there is some consistency among different UV indices available across the country" by working closely with private sector meteorologists, health and medical professionals, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the EPA and CDC.
The daily forecast value in the NWS UV Index is for "solar noon," the moment each day when the sun is at its highest, in each U.S. time zone. The index value is on a scale of approximately 0 to 10+ units, with corresponding exposure levels categorized by the EPA extending from minimal to very high.
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Editor's Note: A list of the 58 cities receiving the NWS UV Index forecast is attached.
LIST OF CITIES FOR NWS UV INDEX FORECASTS
Anchorage, AK
Mobile, AL
Little Rock, AR
Phoenix, AZ
Los Angeles, CA
San Francisco, CA
Denver, CO
Hartford, CT
Washington, DC
Dover, DE
Jacksonville, FL
Miami, FL
Tampa, FL
Atlanta, GA
Honolulu, HI
Des Moines, IA
Boise, ID
Chicago, IL
Indianapolis, IN
Wichita, KS
Louisville, KY
New Orleans, LA
Boston, MA
Baltimore, MD
Portland, ME
Detroit, MI
Minneapolis, MN
St. Louis, MO
Jackson, MS
Billings, MT
Raleigh, NC
Bismark, ND
Omaha, NE
Concord, MA
Atlantic City, NJ
Albuquerque, NM
Las Vegas, NV
Buffalo, NY
New York, NY
Oklahoma City, OK
Cleveland, OH
Portland, OR
Philadelphia, PA
Pittsburgh, PA
San Juan, PR
Providence, RI
Charleston, SC
Sioux Falls, SD
Memphis, TN
Dallas, TX
Houston, TX
Salt Lake City, UT
Burlington, VT
Norfolk, VA
Seattle, WA
Milwaukee, WI
Charleston, WV
Cheyenne, WY