New AMS Statement on Community Priorities

New AMS Statement on Community Priorities

Received from the AMS on 10/02/2008

With cooperation from many members of our community, CWCE/BEC has collected community input via Town Hall meetings at the AMS Annual Meeting, as well at other CWCE/BEC events. The process culminated in the drafting of an AMS Statement: Enabling National Weather and Climate Priorities, which was approved in its final form in  September by the AMS Council.

You may view and download a copy of this statement via the AMS web site:

http://www.ametsoc.org/policy/2008nationalpriorities_amsstatement.html

AMS urges members of the meteorological community to become familiar with this statement, and to refer to it in conversations with Congress, federal agencies, our user community, students, peers, and anyone else who might be interested. As an official AMS Statement, approved by the AMS Council, this statement represents the official position of the AMS on this topic. Of course, community priorities change over time, and this statement will evolve as the community priorities evolve.

Invitation to NWS Partners and Family of Services Meetings

Received from NWS OCWWS May 12, 2009

Dear National Weather Service Partners,

You are invited to attend the National Weather Service (NWS) Partners and Family of Services Meetings in Silver Spring, Maryland, on June 25, 2009.  The Partners meeting will be hosted by the NWS Director, Jack Hayes, and represents a valuable opportunity for you to help define our future.  To register for the meeting, please complete our brief registration form:

https://apps.weather.gov/registration/registration.php?id=57

There is a link to the draft agenda on the registration form and an area for you to comment on the agenda as well.

To stay informed about Partner related topics, please subscribe to the new NWS Partners Email List:

http://infolist.nws.noaa.gov/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=nws_partners

After subscribing, you will receive an email asking you to validate your subscription.

You can also keep current with Partners related information at the NWS Partners Website:

http://apps.weather.gov/partners/index.php

We kindly request that you pass this email along to anyone you know who may also be interested in NWS Partner related events and information.  If you have any questions, please contact me at mike.gerber@noaa.gov or 301-713-0090 x170.  You may also contact John Simensky at john.simensky@noaa.gov or 301-713-0090 x150.

NOAA Reschedules Constituent Budget Briefing

Received April 30,2009 from NOAA

Dear NOAA Constituent, 

Due to a delay in the budget rollout process, the FY 10 President’s Budget will be released two days later than anticipated, on Thursday, May 7^th.  As a result, the Constituent briefing has been rescheduled for Monday, May 11^th at 1:30 p.m. in the Amphitheater in the Ronald Reagan Building.  On behalf of the NOAA Budget Office we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. 

Once again, the Ronald Reagan building is located at 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC  20004.  The most convenient metro stop is Federal Triangle.  Public parking garages are also available in the building and surrounding blocks.

As always, we appreciate the support that constituents have provided for NOAA and we look forward to your attendance and participation on May 11^th.  If you have any questions, please contact Jodi Dauphin at 202.482.5115.

Original invitation:

April 22, 2009

Dear NOAA Constituent,

On behalf of the new Under Secretary of Commerce and Administrator of NOAA Dr. Jane Lubchenco, you are cordially invited to attend the FY 2010 NOAA Constituent Budget Briefing in Washington, D.C. The briefing will be held Wednesday, May 6^th from 2:30-4:30 pm at the Amphitheater in the Ronald Reagan Building.

During the briefing, Dr. Lubchenco will discuss the President’s FY 2010 budget request for NOAA. Copies of the Budget Summary (Blue Book) and a series of one-page fact sheets will be available for you. For those unable to attend, all of the budget materials will be posted on the NOAA.gov website once the budget is released.

The Ronald Reagan Building is located at 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20004. The most convenient metro stop is Federal Triangle. Public parking garages are also available in the building and surrounding blocks.

We greatly appreciate the support that constituents have provided for NOAA and we look forward to your attendance and participation. We also encourage you to share this invitation with any other colleagues who may have an interest in NOAA’s Budget. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact Jodi Dauphin, NOAA Budget Office, by email Jodi.dauphin@noaa.gov or phone 202-482-5115.

Many thanks and we look forward to seeing you on May 6^th.

NCIM Affiliate Member Class Approved

NCIM members have overwhelmingly approved the establishment of a new Affiliate Membership class on an e-mail ballot circulated after the mid year meeting.  Watch the NCIM web page at ncim.org for details on how to apply and, members, make sure you reach out to those you work with who qualify for this new membership class to make them aware of the opportunity.

CWSA becomes AWCIA

provided by: Steven A. Root, CCM,  AWCIA President

On 12 Jan 2009, during its 20th membership meeting (at the 89th AMS Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona) the Commercial Weather Services Association (CWSA) changed its name to the American Weather and Climate Industry Association (AWCIA).

The change recognizes the entire American Weather Industry; the emerging, related Climate Industry; and the unique place these companies play as the only private sector producer of information, services and systems related to weather and climate. The change occurred in a new environment of collaboration between the organization, its member companies, and NOAA and recognizes the additional need to develop similar relationships, technologies and services related to climate change issues.

“This action reflects the conviction of the membership of the America’s Weather and Climate Industry Association that an emerging critical issue facing both scientists and the public today is understanding and dealing with climate change” — Steven Root, President and CEO of WeatherBank Inc.

“Today we reached new heights of collaboration between America’s Weather Industry and NOAA, thanks in large part to the leadership of the National Weather Service, especially Jack Hayes, and the recently retired head of NOAA, ADM Conrad Lautenbacher. This was clearly visible at the Town Hall Meeting Jack Hayes and I shared today at AMS. NOAA and NWS now recognize the broad nature of the weather industry and the important emerging climate mission, and that helped to support a change in name. The American public will now also better understand the roles of companies in the weather and climate industry.” — Barry Myers, CEO of AccuWeather Inc.

America’s Weather and Climate Industry Association (AWCIA) is the trade association for businesses related to weather and climate issues. Its members collect, interpret and disseminate weather and climate information to weather-sensitive businesses as well as the general public, and build systems, software, instrumentation.

What’s New at the SPC

One of the highlights of  the NCIM mid year meeting in Phoenix was a presentation byDr Joseph T. Schaefer, CCM entitled: “What’s New At The SPC.  The powerpoint which Dr. Schaefer spoke from is on the web at:

 http://www.shadetreemeteorology.com/SchaeferPresPhoenix2009.pdf

NCIM Mid-Year Luncheon Meeting Agenda

 Time:  Noon – 2 PM

Date:  Monday, January 12, 2009

Place:  Hyatt Regency Hotel, Remington C/Russell A Rooms

Phoenix, AZ

 

·        President’s Welcome (Lyons)

·        Self Introductions (around the table)

·        Introduction/announcement of newest NCIM members and

introduction of current officers, reviewing new terms (Lyons)

·        Approval of Minutes of Annual Summer Meeting (Lyons)

·        Loren Crow 2009 scholarship winner (Lyons)

·        NCIM Financial Statement (Wagner)

·        NCIM Investment Account (Marsh)

·        Update on NCIM Affiliate Member category definition (Lyons)

·        CWSA Perspectives (VADM Conrad C. Lautenbacher)(tentative)

·        Call for Nominations: NOAA Science Advisor Board Environmental

Information Service Working Group

·        Status of the NCIM Brochure, or just prepare business cards with a

URL? (Wagner)

·        The new NCIM Website (Falconer/Lyons)

·        List of “useful” URLs for website, a membership project (Lyons)

·        The new NCIM Blog (Westergard)

·        Presentation: Government transport and dispersion modeling contracts directed to non-meteorologists (Steve Hanna, CCM)

·        Presentation: What’s New At SPC? Dr. Joseph Schaefer, CCM

(Director, NOAA Storm Prediction Center)

·        Update on 2009 Annual Meeting Planning (Lyons)

o   A decision to be made: split meetings / elections?

o   Front Range in June or Norman in August?

o   Interactions with AMS Summer Community Meeting / CWCE

·        Future Short Course/Workshops at AMS Annual Meetings (brief

discussion)

·        Reminder of AMS Award Nomination process (Lyons)

·        Upcoming CCM Forum highlights (Gerry Mulvey, CCM)

·        Briefing on 2008 Highlights from the AMS Commission on the

Weather and Climate Enterprise (Matt Parker, CCM, AMS CWCE)

Member news items (as time permits)

Recruiting Opportunity at the 8th Annual AMS Student Conference

Provided by AMS 11/07/2008

Is recruiting new employees, especially for entry-level positions, a challenge for your organization? Or, are you looking for an opportunity to meet with students to tell them about your university’s graduate program? Would you like to interface with students and recent graduates to tell them about your organization, what it does, and what it looks for in terms of new employees or graduate students? If so, don’t miss out on your chance to participate in the 89th AMS Annual Meeting Career Fair, 10-13 January 2009.

On the evening of Saturday, January 10, the Career Fair will open with a reception for the over 300 graduate students and junior and senior undergraduate students attending the 8th Annual AMS Student Conference. This event is an ideal time to promote your organization, distribute literature on job vacancies and graduate school opportunities, and schedule interviews for later in the week. As a participating employer or university, you will be assigned a table in order to display handouts and other information about your organization.

The Career Fair will continue on Sunday, January 11 through Tuesday, January 13. While Saturday night’s opening reception is open only to participants in the Student Conference, the Career Fair may be visited by any registered Annual Meeting attendee during its regular hours of operation (Sunday 5:00 PM-7:00 PM; Monday and Tuesday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM).

If you are interested in reserving a table for either the opening night reception or for any day during the Career Fair’s hours of operation, please complete a reservation form at

http://www.ametsoc.org/MEET/annual/registrationcareerfair.pdf

and return it by fax to 617.742.8718 or by e-mail to bfarley@ametsoc.org no later than 28 November 2008. Space is limited so requests will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. Specific information about the Career Fair will be e-mailed to you after we receive your reservation.

Please visit our Web site at http://www.ametsoc.org/meet/annual/careerfair.html for additional information on the Career Fair and other Annual Meeting activities.

Beth Farley
Director of Member Services
American Meteorological Society
45 Beacon Street
Boston MA 02108-3693

National Weather Service Support For Special Events

Message From:

Edward Johnson
Director, NWS Strategic Planning and Policy Office

David Caldwell
Director, NWS Office Of Climate, Water and Weather Services

On 25 September 2008, the National Weather Service (NWS) issued an internal memorandum providing guidance and policy principles regarding NWS support for special events such as sporting events of all types, outdoor festivals, and other kinds of gatherings that attract crowds large and small.  When severe weather threatens the vicinity of these events, both participants and spectators are potentially exposed to hazards such as lightning, extreme temperatures, or tornadic activity.  These situations pose a special challenge to event coordinators, public safety officials, and weather service providers.

NWS has an uncompromising commitment to public safety and works closely with public safety officials to ensure they understand the information provided in our products relating to hazardous weather.  While NWS can provide support to public safety officials for special events, more specialized services are available from America’s Weather Industry (private sector providers of weather services), such as customized consulting services organized and packaged to help make decisions about how to plan and run the event.

The public was given an opportunity to review and comment on these policy principles and, based on this review, we are confident that we are operating in the best interests of our users.  We don’t see this as a change in our current level of support, but rather a clarification of the level of support NWS is committed to provide.

You may view the special events guidance memorandum at:

 http://www.weather.gov/sp/specialeventsguidance.pdf

If you have any questions, please contact:

Wendy Levine
National Weather Service
Strategic Planning and Policy Office
Phone:  301-713-3380
E-mail: wendy.levine@noaa.gov

COMET Update (Provided by AMS 9/25/2008)

Since the last update, sent in July, COMET has published 12 new training materials in the areas of satellite meteorology, oceanography, tropical meteorology, aviation, climatology, and hydrology. Read on for additional details and direct web links of modules that may be of interest to you!

Hot off the presses is a brand new website called the Environmental Satellite Resource Center or “ESRC”. Available online at http://www.meted.ucar.edu/esrc, this site is a searchable database-driven website that provides easy access to a wide range of useful information, education, and training about low-earth orbit and geostationary satellites from trusted sources. Users are invited to contribute additional resources via an online submission form through the site. Check it out!

Just this past August in time for the peak of Atlantic hurricane season COMET published another chapter in our online “Introduction to Tropical Meteorology Textbook”. “Chapter 10: Tropical Cyclones” is a very thorough treatment of the topic and is available online at http://www.meted.ucar.edu/tropical/textbook/.

New Hydrology titles from this past quarter include:

• “Dams and Dam Failure – Module 2: St. Venant Equations, Modeling, and Case Study” at http://www.meted.ucar.edu/hydro/damfailure/basic2/

• “Introduction to Distributed Hydrologic Modeling” at http://www.meted.ucar.edu/hydro/DHM/Intro/

New Oceanography titles include:

• “Analyzing Ocean Swell” at http://www.meted.ucar.edu/oceans/ocean_swell/  

• “North Wall Effects on Winds and Waves” at http://www.meted.ucar.edu/oceans/northwall/

And in the area of aviation forecasting, we just published “Writing TAFs for

Winds and Low-Level Wind Shear” available at http://meted.ucar.edu/dlac2/mod3

Also recently published is a new basic-level module entitled “Introduction to

Climatology” which is available at http://www.meted.ucar.edu/afwa/climo/intro/

Finally, four new Spanish translations of previously published titles are also available. Check out this URL for a chronological listing of all our recent publications: http://www.meted.ucar.edu/about_new.htm

As always, these materials are freely available to everyone, courtesy of our sponsors (NOAA’s NWS, NESDIS GOES and NPOESS programs, Naval Meteorology and
Oceanography Command, the Air Force Weather Agency, and the Meteorological

Service of Canada), as well as special funding from Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology, EUMETSAT, the National Science Foundation, and the NOAA NWS International Affairs office.

Don’t forget you’ll need to register in order to access the modules. Registration is free, easy and available in both English and Spanish.  We welcome any comments, suggestions, or feedback you have on these or any other training offerings available through the MetEd Website.

Questions?  Please contact Wendy Schreiber-Abshire, COMET Meteorologist, at abshire@ucar.edu or 303-497-8477