Two AFOS Messages

• To: g.hufford(rec), r.livingston(rec), d.smith.dan(rec),
• Subject: Two AFOS Messages
• From: M.ROBINSON
• Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1993 09:00:03 -0600

Posted: Sat, Jun 12, 1993   7:53 PM EDT              Msg: CGJD-5749-5507
        g.carter(rec), 
        e.young.nws(rec), k.mielke(rec), l.miller.ucar(rec), 
        t.whittaker(rec), 
        j.schaefer(rec), j.partain(rec), j.neilon(rec), 
        r.lavoie(rec)
CC:     e.kalnay(rec), r.petersen.nmc(rec), r.przywarty(rec), 
        j.travers(rec)
Subj:   Two AFOS Messages                             
The following messages were transmitted over AFOS and various other comms
circuits on Friday afternoon at approx 0530 EDT.
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ZCZC WSHPNSNMC ALL
TTAA00 KWSH DDHHMM

NATIONAL TECHNICAL INFORMATION MESSAGE 93-22...RETRANSMITTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS
530 PM EDT FRI JUN 11 1993

TO:         ALL USERS OF THE NGM AND ETA MODELS:
            NWS OFFICES, CARSWELL AFB, CANADA/AES, FAA/WEATHER
            MESSAGE SWITCHING CENTER, and FAMILY OF SERVICES
            USERS (DOMESTIC DATA SERVICE and AFOS GRAPHICS
            SERVICE)

FROM:       MARY M. GLACKIN
            CHIEF, SERVICES DEVELOPMENT BRANCH

SUBJECT:    PROBLEM WITH THE SNOW COVER ANALYSIS USED IN THE ETA
            AND NESTED GRID MODELS

(INFORMATION FOR THIS ANNOUNCEMENT HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY
KEN MITCHELL OF THE DEVELOPMENT DIVISION OF NMC)

In the past few days, forecasters in Alaska Region have noticed a
problem with the surface thermal fields in the Nested Grid Model
(NGM).  NMC Development Division has looked into this, and it has
been traced to a problem with the daily snow cover analysis which
is used in BOTH THE NGM AND THE ETA MODELS, and is produced by
the Air Force.  The USAF snow cover analysis is overanalyzing
snow cover over the entire state of Alaska, northern Nevada,
central Idaho, western Washington, western Oregon, and the
western 1/6th of Canada.  

The effect of this problem is a low level cold bias in both the
NGM and Eta forecasts for the areas mentioned above.  In addition
to the graphics produced from the NGM and Eta models, this would
also be evident in the direct model output FOUS products from
both models, particularly in the T1 and T3 temperature and the
Lifted Index guidance.  For the Eta, the AFOS PILs which may be
affected are FRH72, FRH75, and FRH76 and the WMO headers are
FOUS72 KWBC, FOUS75 KWBC, and FOUS76 KWBC.  For the NGM, the AFOS
PILs which may be affected are FRHT72, FRHT75, FRHT76, FRHT83,
and FRHT88 and the WMO headers are FOUW72 KWBC, FOCN75 KWBC,
FOCN76 KWBC, FOUW83 KWBC, and FOUS88 KWBC.

The NGM MOS temperature guidance (AFOS category FWC;  WMO header
FOUS14) should also be used with caution in the affected areas.
In addition, anyone using low level thermal fields from the NGM
or Eta gridded data should use that guidance with caution. 

NMC Development Division is still investigating possible
solutions to this problem, on a very high priority.

Thanks for the input from the Alaska Region regarding this
problem.  A follow-up message will be issued next week regarding
an implementation to solve this problem.

If you have any questions, call Ken Mitchell at (301)-763-8161.

SENT - W/OM23
NNNN
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ZCZC WSHPNSWSH ALL
TTAA00 KWSH DDHHMM

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
540 PM EDT FRI JUN 11 1993

ATTENTION:     ALL NWS OFFICES, FAMILY OF SERVICES SUBSCRIBERS,
               NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE SUBSCRIBERS,
               OTHER NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PRODUCT USERS


  ...UNION LAWSUIT STALLS MOVE TO NEW WEATHER OFFICES...

Due to legal action by the National Weather Service Employees
Organization, planned June 14, 1993 actions to upgrade current
National Weather Service facilities in Boston and New York to
state-of-the-art Weather Forecast Offices must be postponed.

"We had hoped that the modernized facilities and companion weather
radar units could be in use along the northeast coast for the 1993
Hurricane Season," said Dr. Elbert W. Friday, Assistant NOAA
Administrator for Weather Services.

As part of the National Weather Service's (NWS) nationwide
Modernization and Restructuring program, which is designed to bring
the country into the 21st Century with the latest advances in
weather technology, computerization, and communications systems,
personnel were scheduled to move to a new Weather Service facility
in Taunton, Mass. from the NWS office in Boston.

A lawsuit by the employees union seeking to block the move was
rejected by U.S. District Court Judge John Martin in Manhattan on
June 4, 1993.  However, in seeking a stay of the move pending an
appeal, the employees union obtained an injunction from the U.S.
Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York City, which
effectively blocks the move until that court issues a decision.  A
hearing before the Second Circuit has been scheduled for August 9,
1993.  The National Weather Service is considering what further
relief may be available. 

A July 12, 1993 move of the Northeast River Forecast Center from
Bloomfield, Conn. to the new office in Taunton will not be affected
by the legal action.  However, the legal action will stall a
planned July 26, 1993 Weather Service move from New York City to a
new Weather Forecast Office at the Brookhaven National Laboratory
in Eastern Long Island.

The construction--and utilization--of 116 new Weather Forecast
Offices are part of a nationwide modernization program designed to
help protect the lives and property of residents throughout the
United States, said Susan F. Zevin, National Weather Service
Eastern Region Director.

END