Straight Talk:
Questions to the Director

By General D.L. Johnson
NWS Director

We need to ratchet up our communication. With so many miles between so many of us we're often left playing the gossip game where information is diluted and distorted as it travels down the line. I'm changing the name of GENERALizations because it was just that - too general. You don't want spin, you need straight talk. As your leader, I'll provide it through this column and other vehicles. We're dealing with a harsh FY05 budget and NOAA is changing in a way that requires all of us to do things differently. I know that many of you view yourselves as more than the men and women who work for NOAA's National Weather Service. You are NOAA's National Weather Service. You do great things for America -- our citizens appreciate it; I salute and support you.

At a recent NOAA Executive Panel meeting, the chair commented that employees are sending NOAA leaders e-mail at a growing rate which our leaders feel compelled to read and answer. You need answers to your questions -- the chain of leadership in the Weather Service owes you an answer. I would like the chance to answer them. FOCUS used to publish questions to the Director. Let's get that going again. Part of my job is to keep NOAA focused on getting us the resources we need to support our mission. Many of you have heard me say that I am picking my battles carefully. I ask you to do the same. Help me help our leaders stay focused on what really is important to our mission. If you have a question for the Director, send it to NWS.Focus@noaa.gov. I'll try to get to them all.

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Highlights of the Fiscal Year 2006 President's Budget Proposal

The President released his proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 budget last week. NOAA's FY 2006 request totals $3.6 billion, an increase of six percent or $205 million over the FY 2005 request. A total of $839,263,000 is requested for NWS. $744,830,000 is in the request to support continued and enhanced operations of NOAA's National Weather Service. The request for procurement, acquisition, and construction is $94,433,000.

"The President's budget request to Congress begins the annual federal budget cycle. It's important for our employees to understand the budget process and know what's happening," noted NWS Chief Financial Officer/Chief Administrative Officer Matt Jadacki. "We will brief Congressional staffs and members of Congress in the coming months, and we will provide periodic updates as the FY 2006 budget takes shape."

Here are some highlights of the FY 2006 NOAA request:

• $5.6 million for the NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards to install 17 new transmitter stations in high risk areas and refurbish 64 of the 400 transmitter stations installed in the early 1970s.
• $7.4 million in programs that support the Western Governors Association's call for a National Integrated Drought Information System, including $4 million for a Water Resources Initiative to support development of a nationwide water resources forecasting capability, which will provide America with economically valuable water and soil conditions. This increase supports a national water quality monitoring and prediction system.
• $3.8 million to accelerate nationwide implementation of ozone air quality forecasting capability from FY 2009 to FY 2008 and to deliver an initial particulate matter forecasting capability by FY 2011.
• $9.5 million to expand the U.S. Tsunami Warning Network. This $24 million commitment over two years will expand the current six-buoy tsunami detection network by an additional 32 buoys in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, Caribbean basin and Gulf of Mexico; procure three redundant buoys off the coast of Alaska as backups and 38 new sea-level monitoring/tide gauge sensors; provide 24/7 operations at NOAA's Tsunami Warning Centers; upgrade 20 seismometers used to improve tsunami detection; and expand the TsunamiReady program to improve community preparedness.
• $3.2 million to transfer the Tropical Atmosphere Ocean array from the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research to NWS -- will enhance NOAA's capability to accurately document the state of ocean climactic conditions and improve seasonal forecasting capability.
• $1.1 million for Aviation Weather to continue a 10-year plan to improve U.S. aviation safety and provide economic efficiencies by providing state-of-the-art aviation weather observation and forecast products. Modifies 50 additional commercial aircraft with water vapor sensors.
• $6.2 million to continue construction on the NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction, which will bring NOAA scientists and academic researchers together in collaboration to enhance weather forecasts.

Also in NOAA's proposed budget is $95 million in net increases to support emerging requirements for NOAA's role in building an integrated earth observing system. Included in these efforts is a net increase of $52.6 for the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites to maintain continuity for this critical observing technology and $16.1M for the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite (NPOESS) to ensure the first satellite is available for launch by 2010.

Read the NOAA news story here, view the NWS one-page summary here, and view the complete NOAA FY 2006 Blue Book here.

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NOAA's NWS Begins Partial Implementation of VTEC

NOAA's NWS implemented operational Valid Time Event Code (VTEC) for six watch and warning products at Weather Forecast Offices and the Storm Prediction Center on February 8, 2005.

The products are the Tornado Warning, Severe Thunderstorm Warning, Severe Weather Statement, Special Marine Warning, Marine Weather Statement, and Watch Outline Update Message.

VTEC is an event-specific dissemination code which will improve the automated and timely dissemination of weather information to the public through several different methods, such as paging systems and television message crawl systems used to relay urgent, severe, and marine weather information.

"This was a huge effort on the part of many people at NWS Headquarters, Regional Headquarters, the National Centers for Environmental Prediction, and the field," said Dennis McCarthy, Acting Director of the Office of Climate, Water, and Weather Services.

"Completing this first step validates the hard work everyone contributed and gives VTEC and Watch by County programs momentum to carry us forward to completion next fall," said Deirdre Jones, NWS Office of Science and Technology.

These important six products represent phase I; the second phase will include an additional 13 product headers.

Read the earlier Focus article on VTEC here.

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Newest Generation of Weather and Climate Supercomputers Debuts

NOAA's NWS successfully put into operations on January 25, 2005, the newest generation of weather and climate supercomputers. Now, for the first time, the NWS has three systems working together.

The three systems consist of a primary system (Blue), a research and development system (Red), and backup system (White). The primary and backup operating systems ensure a reliable delivery of operational weather and climate forecasts with no interruption in services. The research and development system accelerates the transition of new research results into the operational models and provides for a more rapid improvement of all forecast products delivered to the public and private sectors.

Red and Blue are housed at the IBM facility located in Gaithersburg, MD; White is housed at a NASA facility located in Fairmont, WV.

The new supercomputers were delivered as part of the $180 million, nine-year contract with IBM.

Read the full NOAA news release here.

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Training Classes Restored

Current budget challenges for NOAA's NWS have reduced the amount of available training, but some training courses previously cancelled will now be offered to the benefit of employees and mission accomplishment.

"As a continuous learning organization, it's imperative for us to take a step back, assess, and communicate valuable lessons learned as part of our commitment to continuous improvement," said Brig. Gen. D.L. Johnson, U.S. Air Force (Ret.), NWS Director.

In an e-mail note to NWS employees on February 8, 2005, Johnson said through a cooperative effort with the NWS employees' labor organization, NWSEO, the NWS has a strategy "to limit the impact on operational employees, and preserve front line warning and forecast operations."

Dennis McCarthy, Acting Director, Office of Climate, Water, and Weather Services, said training offered this year focuses on "a combination of courses that addresses the skills vital for operational readiness."

"Training is mission critical to support the level of readiness and performance the public demands and deserves," McCarthy said.

Some course changes are listed below. The full range of training opportunities, including these updates, can be found at NOAA's NWS Training Center home page, http://www.nwstc.noaa.gov/nwstrn/index.html.

• One CRS Maintenance course will be restored: 04/13/05 - 04/20/05.
• One AWIPS Operations Support course will be restored: 09/07/05 - 09/16/05. The AWIPS Operations Support course currently scheduled for 09/13/05 - 09/22/05 will be moved to 09/20/05 - 09/29/05.
• Three Linux for WFOs courses will be restored: 04/19/05 - 04/28/05, 07/12/05 - 07/2105, and 09/13/05 - 09/22/05.

Unfortunately, the Executive Leadership Seminars have been cancelled for FY 05.

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NOAA/USGS Sign Memorandum of Understanding

NOAA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) "renewed their vows" recently to coordinate and cooperate in activities involving physical and biological sciences and environmental studies.

At a ceremonial signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU), Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere John J. Kelly, Jr., U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen (Ret.), and Charles G. Groat, Director, USGS, signed the memorandum for their respective agencies.

The ceremony took place February 4, 2005, during the Fifth National Conference on Science, Policy and the Environment: Forecasting Environmental Changes, held at Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C.

The MOU, noted the text of the document, is designed to "make it easier for the USGS and NOAA scientists and managers to work together, when appropriate, in addressing the Nation's physical, biological, and ocean science needs."

NOAA's NWS relies heavily on data derived from USGS-operated river and stream gauges, for example, and recently the two agencies have been working together to improve forecasting of debris flows which can result from heavy rainfall.

Kelly said there's a long history of NOAA and the USGS cooperating, and the new memorandum of understanding should "put to rest a misconception that federal agencies don't work together."

Groat added that the sciences and missions of the two agencies go hand in hand, and working together is "a natural act."

Representing the NWS at the signing were Brig. Gen. D.L. Johnson, U.S. Air Force (Ret.), NWS Director; John Jones, NWS Deputy Director; and Gary Carter, Director, NWS Office of Hydrologic Development.

Read the text of the memorandum here.

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Riverton, WY, Hosts Native American Speakers

On January 18, 2005, the Riverton, WY, Weather Forecast Office (WFO) hosted a diversity activity with two local Native American women, Sara Robinson and Molly Oneal Holt, as their guests.

The Wind River Indian Reservation is unique -- it is the only reservation in the United States that two separate Tribes call home. The people of the Wind River Indian Reservation include Shoshone Tribal members, Arapaho Tribal members, and non-Indian residents. The reservation population totals 23,250 with the total Tribal members totaling 6,544 as of 2004. The median age of tribal residents of the reservation is 25 years, and 22.8 percent of the dwellings have more than one family. The State of Wyoming has a median household income of $38,934; Fremont County has a median household income of $34,203, while the tribal household income is just $11,920. Nearly one-forth of all dwellings on the reservation support more than one family.

Robinson, an enrolled member of the Shoshone tribe (the term "enrolled" refers to a Native American who is a member of an Indian Tribe - each tribe has their own rules or laws for enrollment), and Oneal Holt, an enrolled member of the Arapahoe tribe, provided the differing perspectives and history of both tribes. Riverton staff learned about the various treaties and land sales that have led to the current configuration of the 2.2 million acre reservation, where the WFO resides. The presenters also provided insight into the structure and laws of tribal government.

"I thought I knew a lot about Wyoming history, but this presentation was an eye opener," said forecaster Chuck Farmer, a native of Wyoming who has lived in the state for over 40 years.

The economic impact of the reservation is undeniably important to this portion of Wyoming. For example, $71.3 million per year in direct dollars is brought into Fremont County, WY, by the Tribes or related entities. This generates $128.4 million per year in total economic activity within Fremont County. The state collects an average of $15 million in taxes from the reservation. On average, $9.7 million per year is returned in state funded services, such as schools, roads, community services, judicial services, social services, and weed/pest control.

WFO Riverton has been active in building positive partnerships with tribal agencies and members over the past few years. Information Technology Officer Cory Rusher, Electronics Technician Peggy Peterson, and meteorologists Tom Frieders, Chad Hahn, and Chris Jones have all participated in outreach activities and presentations at the Wyoming Indian Elementary School and Wyoming Indian High School.

WFO members will attend a meeting hosted by the Wind River Environmental Commission office for the sharing of weather data. Most recently, a new relationship has been forged with the Wind River Rural Systemic Initiative and Math Science Program, a major math and science program which is operated from the reservation with Federal grant funds. Funding from this program will assist in the upcoming Women in Science Conference, a program designed for girls and young women from 7th through 12th grades to encourage them to continue their studies in math and science, with hopes of them developing their careers in these fields.

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Also On the Web...NEXRAD Now

In the Winter 2005 issue of NEXRAD Now, you will find topics such as: FAA's TDWR Data, Volume Coverage Patterns, an AWIPS Flash Flood Procedure "Bundle," and more. Published by the WSR-88D Radar Operations Center, NEXRAD Now is available here.

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Snapshots

Click here for a look at photos we've received from around the NWS.

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