GENERALizations: A "Network of Networks" for a "System of Systems"

By General D.L. Johnson
NWS Director

Recently, the Washington Post ran an article called "Bringing Together Nations to Check Earth's Pulse" that profiled our NOAA Administrator, retired Navy Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, and his vision for a proposed Global Earth Observing System of Systems (GEOSS). I think it is important for you to see how clearly we fit into this vision. We connect to all of NOAA's goals, and according to Vice Adm. Lautenbacher, "NOAA represents America's best bet for solving widespread problems...."

The article describes GEOSS as a "network of thousands of weather stations, buoys, ships, and aircraft [that] will take the globe's pulse and transmit the information 24 hours a day." Clearly, the National Weather Service has multiple observing systems in place today that support this effort. In addition, NWS, and the Nation, will benefit from GEOSS because all these additional observations will be "fed" to weather forecast models running at NCEP, and they'll ultimately improve weather and water forecasts from our WFOs and RFCs. Also, more observations for National Climatic Data Center archives, climate monitoring, and climate models will improve NOAA's seasonal climate forecasts and climate change assessments.

We will better support GEOSS through a weather service initiative that will modernize our oldest program, the Cooperative Observer Network (COOP). Our goal is to grow the COOP from a network of 11,000 volunteers into a "network of networks" that integrates and quality assures observations from a wide array of systems to monitor weather, water, and climate variability across the United States. Led by Ken Crawford, this project will develop a national cooperative mesonet, and promises to meet the current and future needs of NOAA, our public and private sector partners, and GEOSS. Most Americans do not understand names like "cooperative observers" and "mesonets." We are working on coming up with a new name to help us educate people and gain support for this important project. Today's national cooperative mesonet initiative is one example of how the National Weather Service is working to meet the future head on.

Back to Top

NWS Statistical Guidance Pioneer Marks 50 Years of Federal Service

by Jessica Harper
NWS Communications Office/Public Affairs Intern

has left an indelible mark on the history of modern meteorology and operational forecasting. "I enjoy my work," Glahn said. "I am very glad I chose to work for the NWS and am pleased with what we have all accomplished."

In the 1960s, he successfully shepherded the development and implementation of Model Output Statistics (MOS), which is a method of producing weather forecasts that uses advanced statistical techniques to improve the accuracy of forecasts generated by computer models.

Key Force Behind Change

"Bob is a key force behind a lot of significant changes to NWS operations over the years," said Stephan Smith, NWS Decision Assistance Branch Chief. "The MOS is the first thing forecasters consult. It's the first information they look at. It's like a knife in a kitchen. You can't prepare a meal without it."

Jack Hayes, Director of the NWS Office of Science and Technology who first met Glahn when Hayes was an officer in the U.S. Air Force, agrees.

"Bob's implementation of the MOS was a major step in applying probability and statistics to create weather forecasts for the American public," he said. "Local forecasts of the probability of rain, snow, and other weather conditions, are all the result of Dr. Glahn's pioneering work."

Under Glahn's leadership, MOS has helped forecasters produce high-quality weather forecasts up to seven days in advance. The MOS is used by almost every major national meteorological service in the world.

"The biggest challenge the NWS faced with MOS was writing and implementing the necessary software with half a dozen people," Glahn noted. "Statistical forecasts were not widely accepted and people were still adjusting to the cultural changes that accompanied centralized guidance."

Smith, who has worked with Glahn for a little over 11 years, praises his direction.

"Bob is not a limelight person; he was not involved with the product's design, but he made the change from text to gridded forecasts happen through his leadership behind the scenes," Smith said. "He helped the NWS cross that bridge."

As the 1990s dawned and the NWS set out to meet the challenges of the 21st Century and the digital age, Glahn sought to free forecasters from the headache of having to hand type hundreds of text forecasts. Instead, he envisioned forecasters using high tech tools to analyze and probe complex and hazardous weather situations.

Digital Services

Chief among these advancements is the Interactive Forecast Preparation System (IFPS). IFPS, which debuted September 30, 2003, at 122 Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs), allows a transition from manpower intensive text products to more efficient, information-rich digital and graphical weather forecast products.

Glahn is constantly looking for ways to take the NWS to the next frontier, and his latest venture is no different. He recently set in motion a country-wide team to develop a National Digital Forecast Database (NDFD) concept in which the gridded forecasts produced at the122 separate WFOs would be forged into a single national gridded forecast database.

"The NDFD project did not have an end-to-end program plan or much funding, but we did as well as could be expected with what we had," Glahn noted. "The NWS would not be where it is today if we had not just started out and done it."

By taking this leap ahead, Glahn has once again proven his willingness to embrace technical and cultural change. The challenges of creating a streamlined national digital database collaboratively among offices scattered throughout the U.S. have been immense, but he's faced them with a hopeful enthusiasm.

"He sets a high standard for himself and for those who work for him, and makes a point of focusing on the right way as opposed to the quickest way to develop new science," Hayes said.

"Bob has seen everything, and yet he still brings a level of freshness to his work, even after 50 years," Smith added. "It's a real privilege to work with someone who has such deep scientific knowledge as well as high professional integrity."

As a member on a committee of the World Meteorological Organization, Glahn was one of the first NWS employees to recognize the need for a statistical interpretive system for numerical models and to develop the GRIB2 (GRIdded Binary) data format. He has also been active in hosting visiting scientists and forecasters from other countries, including the Chinese Meteorological Agency.

"Scientists visit not only from China but also from Korea, Japan, and Taiwan," Glahn said. "One of the scientists worked with us to implement a gridded thunderstorm product. It's a two-way street. They receive side-by-side training, and we benefit from their work as well."

Additionally, Glahn, a one-time country school teacher and former Air Force officer, has authored and co-authored over 100 papers on various topics. Despite his hectic work schedule, he is very interested in creating a warm and friendly environment within the lab.

"He sponsors social gatherings during the year at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and on other occasions, to allow employees to get to know each other outside the hectic work environment," Hayes said. "They're always well-attended, even by former MDL employees who have retired."

Mostly because of Glahn's diligence, the MOS, IFPS, and NDFD projects are not only examples of technological greatness but are also great connectors that link WFO forecasters together and enrich the lives of NWS customers and the American public at large.

Back to Top

Honor Roll:
NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards Maintenance Contractor is NOAA Team Member of the Month

Hampton described the damage to the system as "sheer carnage." After salvaging parts from another transmitter, he began unsoldering wires and components while bending and hammering twisted pieces of metal, working tirelessly through the night to rebuild and align the transmitter. "We have people in our community that depend on this transmitter and I knew there were storms heading in that direction," Hampton stated. The next morning, Hampton arranged to get the transmitter back up the tower and mounted onto the platform.

Beyond his courageous work to repair damaged transmitters, Hampton builds and designs his own adjuncts to test equipment. His adjuncts "speak" the voltage reading on the voltmeter and "speak" the information on the frequency counter. Hampton troubleshoots circuits and jokes that his only limitation is soldering. In addition, Hampton memorizes schematics read to him by his wife which enables him to identify the color wire of any pin on in any of his equipment.

Hampton is recognized for his dedication to helping the NWS meet its mission of providing weather forecasts and warnings for the protection of lives and property.

According to Dean Gulezian, Director, Eastern Region Headquarters, "Danny Hampton is truly a vital member of Team NOAA."

Back to Top

Workshop Organizers Solicit Issues on Snow and Ice Forecasting

The 2004 Cold Regions Hydrology Workshop is scheduled for November 15-19, 2004, at the NWS Training Center in Kansas City, MO. The workshop is held every other year and pertains to northern climes offices in areas that have snow or ice that turns into river water.

Interested individuals from any Weather Forecast Office, River Forecast Center, and Region (except Southern and Pacific) should contact their regional representative.

The focus of this year's workshop will be problems and solutions to hydrologic forecasting in cold regions. The workshop will include a day and a half on ice-related issues resulting from the freeze-up, ice cover, and breakup processes. The remaining two days will cover snow data and melt forecasting issues. The organizers are collecting issues related to snow and ice forecasting prior to the workshop. You can submit issues from a link on the workshop's draft agenda posted on the workshop's web site at http://aprfc.arh.noaa.gov/resources/crw04/2004CRHW.htm.

If your office has solutions to offer, the organizers want to hear about them. Each northern region has been given a budget from training funds to send staff to the workshop. As the final agenda is prepared, priority will be given to NWS presentations that provide solutions to the forecasting issues that have been identified.

For more information, contact larry.rundquist@noaa.gov.

Back to Top

Discovering Our Neighbors

Several NWS Headquarters employees recently participated in a Health and Safety Fair hosted by Discovery Communications, Inc., whose world headquarters is just a few blocks up the street from NWS Headquarters in Silver Spring, MD.

On October 20, 2004, a team led by John Simensky of the Office of Climate, Water, and Weather Services (OCWWS) initiated what the NWS hopes will be an exciting collaboration with Discovery Communications, whose products and services include the Discovery, Travel, and Science Channels, Animal Planet, and FitTV. Simensky was joined by Ron Gird and Donna Ayres of OCWWS and Margaret Fowke of the NWS Office of Strategic Planning and Policy. Hundreds of Discovery employees from the corporation's Silver Spring and Bethesda offices visited the several dozen exhibits, which included exhibits from the American Red Cross, the Environmental Protection Agency, a local energy provider, and local hospitals and emergency services organizations.

The NWS booth offered visitors educational and outreach materials for all members of the family. Of particular interest to the public were cloud charts and brochures on preparing for winter storms and severe weather. Also gathering a lot of attention was the lightning awareness poster featuring Torii Hunter, the center fielder for the Minnesota Twins. "I love weather" was a frequent greeting from other exhibitors and visitors when they approached the NWS exhibit. "You're doing a good job" and "thank you" were also familiar comments from our customers.

"With Discovery just up the street from NWS Headquarters, and with our common goals of educating the public and advancing interest in science, we hope to foster a productive partnership with the new kid on the block," said Ayres.

Back to Top

Employee Milestones

• Click here to see NEW APPOINTMENTS/TRANSFERS to NWS through October 31, 2004.
• Click here to see RETIREMENTS/DEPARTURES from NWS through October 31, 2004.

Back to Top

NWS Snapshots

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

Back to Top