NOAA Fiscal Year 2005 Budget Proposal "Blue Book" Available Online

NOAA is publishing details of the Fiscal Year 2005 President's budget proposal in the annual "blue book." Copies should be available soon. Click here to review details of the budget proposal in the online version of the blue book: http://www.publicaffairs.noaa.gov/budget2005/.

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NWS "Teams Up" with Iowa Athletic Group to Promote Lightning Awareness

An NWS forecaster shared his personal experience with lightning recently to help educate baseball coaches and officials about lightning dangers and preventive measures.

Meteorologist Andy Kula of the Des Moines, IA, Weather Forecast Office (WFO) teamed up with the Iowa High School Athletic Association (IaHSAA) to give a lightning safety presentation to the 2004 Iowa Baseball Coaches Clinic in Cedar Rapids, IA.

Kula partnered with Alan Beste of the IaHSAA on the presentation. Beste started off with a motivational discussion of how important lightning awareness is on the field, discussed how coaches, umpires, and officials should have the necessary tools at their disposal to keep aware of thunderstorm hazards, including a pager-sized lightning detector. The IaHSAA is subsidizing much of the cost of the detectors for Iowa high school athletic officials.

Kula's part of the presentation dealt with lightning safety for athletes and attendees, and his own lightning strike story. He, his fiancée Susan (now his wife), and a friend were struck by lightning while storm chasing as University of Kansas meteorology students on May 6, 1993. Kula said Susan, an Iowa State University air pollution meteorologist, needed a year to relearn how to walk after being struck, and still has health issues that stem from the lightning strike. Kula said he shares his knowledge and experience with storm chasers and spotters to prevent similar tragedies in the future.

At the coaches clinic, Kula and Beste gave coaches a Coach's Lightning Safety Guide, available on www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov, information about lightning detectors, and copies of the Lightning Kills, Play It Safe posters.

Kula and Beste will give their presentation at upcoming meetings, including the Central Iowa National Weather Association Severe Storm Conference in Des Moines (March 25-27) and a breakout session at the Iowa High School Athletic Directors meeting in Des Moines (March 29).

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What are some of the priorities in the President's Fiscal Year 2005 budget proposal, and how would the proposal impact the NWS?

John Potts, Chief, NWS Budget Formulation and Program Analysis Division, and NOAA Legislative Affairs Specialist Scott Carter will be online to discuss the President's budget proposal, priorities for NOAA and the NWS, and answer your questions. Join them online here at 1:30 p.m., on March 4, 2004.

If you have questions you'd like to see answered during the online session, you may submit them in advance to NWS.Focus@noaa.gov. Potts and Carter also will take questions live during the chat.

Background on the FY 05 budget proposal is available here.

This is the first time the NWS has used an online chat for a nationwide employee communication activity.

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The Office of the Chief Financial Officer is sponsoring the Cost Management Question of the Month Challenge to increase awareness of cost management data and encourage NWS organizations to use this management tool.

For details on the Cost Management database, see the December 8, 2003, NOAA's NWS Focus article.

NOAA's NWS Focus will identify contest winners and link to the new question each month. The first person to correctly answer this month's question based on their organization's cost management data will receive an NWS badge holder from the On-The-Spot Award program in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer/Chief Administrative Officer.

March Question of the Month:

What was your Financial Management Center's total cost at the end of the 3rd quarter in FY 03?

The following links contain the answer. One is a graphic representation of the data. The other is a report of 3rd quarter FY 03 cost data.

• http://rims.nws.noaa.gov/qotm/
• http://rims.nws.noaa.gov/qotm/cost_categories_cams/report/report.htm

Eligibility: Members of the Senior Executive Service, Financial Management Center Directors, Presidential appointees, contractors, volunteers, private citizens, employees of another Federal agency, or post-secondary interns hired under special program authority are not eligible to participate.

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Warning Decision-Making Process Explanation Highlights Workshop

One Weather Forecast Office (WFO) made a demonstration of the warning decision-making process a highlight of a recent workshop for emergency managers and media.

WFO Jackson, MS, event organizers Warning Coordination Meteorologist (WCM) Jim Butch, Senior Forecaster Chad Entrement, and Forecaster Bryan Henry used archived AWIPS data, video footage, and other training material to create training modules to teach basic model and radar analysis techniques. They also used weather event simulations to demonstrate the warning decision-making process and to test the audience's understanding of the concepts taught. With a significant severe weather event expected the next day, the audience's understanding was crucial.

Jeff Craven, the Science and Operations Officer at WFO Jackson explained the web briefing, an online map presentation the WFO uses in conjunction with a conference call to emergency managers prior to a significant weather event. Using up-to-date model data, Craven briefed the audience of the flooding and severe thunderstorm concerns that were expected the next day. According to Henry, the emergency management personnel and media in attendance were quite attentive and had several questions regarding the upcoming situation.

Meteorologist-In-Charge Jim Duke of WFO Memphis, TN, and WCM Frank Revitte of WFO Slidell, LA, provided insightful discussions as guest speakers. Duke briefed the audience on the products and services available to the public through the WFO Memphis web site, and Revitte discussed tornado climatology in southern Mississippi. Among other things, the data showed that the frequency of dangerous tornadoes decreased heading south, towards the coast from central Mississippi.

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Women's History Month Tribute: 'Rosie the Riveter,' A Force to be Reckoned With...

In 1941, only two women were listed as observers and forecasters in the Weather Bureau. By 1945, over 900 women worked as observers and forecasters, and even staffed entire Weather Bureau offices! These women possessed a 'can do' attitude and became a force to reckoned with in the workforce.

The National Weather Service is proud to recognize the women who worked in the Weather Bureau during World War II.

"Their contributions and sacrifices provided critical support to homeland safety during the war," said General D.L. Johnson, NWS Director. "Often under-recognized for their hard work, devotion, and professionalism, these women deserve a standing ovation for blazing a path for today's men and women who walk in their footsteps," he notes.

Have you known or met any of these women? Frank Kelly (Chief of Programs and Plans Division, Office of Science and Technology) was inspired by one! His mother (Mrs. Petronella Kelly) worked for the Weather Bureau in Helena, MT, during WWII. "I have fond memories of her work ethic, determination, and love of meteorology," says Kelly. "Her career greatly influenced his decision to join the NWS."

"Mrs. Kelly, along with all the other unsung heros of that era, made significant contributions to meteorology and hydrology. We have not forgotten," Johnson said.

The NWS Communications Office compiled a list of women who worked in the Weather Bureau during this time from names and addresses given to us by employees. From those contacts, General Johnson is sending a letter of appreciation to acknowledge their pioneering efforts.

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Guest Speaker Provides Local Kansas Flavor to African American History Luncheon

The Dodge City, KS, Weather Forecast Office (WFO) on February 19, 2004, hosted a local guest speaker during a luncheon celebrating National African American History Month.

JohnElla Holmes, a fourth-generation resident of Nicodemus, KS, shared some of her family history and background. Nicodemus was the first, and is now the only remaining, all-Black town west of the Mississippi River.

The WFO staff brought a variety of food dishes which tied into the historical celebration. Some dishes could be tied back to the primary staples of generations of families in the area. From sweet potato casserole to curry chicken, the staff sampled the culinary treats and learned about the traditions of this historical community.

"Our guest speaker brought an okra dish which proved quite popular, but she refused to divulge the family secret recipe," said Lead Forecaster Tim Burke, Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity Focal Point. "The food was great, and the speaker even more interesting. Everyone was impressed, entertained, and learned a little more about African American history."

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Employee Milestones

• Click here to see NEW APPOINTMENTS/TRANSFERS to NWS through February 29, 2004.
• Click here to see RETIREMENTS/DEPARTURES from NWS through February 29, 2004.

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