NOAA's NWS Focus - November 4, 2002

New ASOS Wind Sensor To Be Tested

The Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) Product Improvement team will soon begin operationally testing a replacement wind sensor. The new "ice free" wind sensor will upgrade ASOS wind reporting to conform to the 3-second World Meteorological Organization gust standard.

"A 20-site OAT [Operational Acceptance Test] of the sensors will begin in early November 2002," according to Rick Ahlberg, ASOS Product Improvement Manager. Most OAT sites will be configured with dual sensors, both the existing and new sensors. The existing sensor will be used for the official observation and the new sensor output will be archived for analysis. "Assuming the analysis validates the new sensor performance, full-scale deployment of the new sensor at 313 NWS and 570 Federal Aviation Administration-sponsored ASOS sites should begin in March 2003 and extend through September 2006," said Ahlberg.

Ahlberg noted that "while there will be little difference in 2-minute average wind speed and direction reporting, the changes in gust and peak wind reporting may be significant. The mass of the moving parts in existing sensors limits responsiveness. The new sensor will be more responsive to short term gusts."

The current Belfort 2000 ASOS wind sensor uses rotating cups to measure wind speed and a vane to measure wind direction. Over a 2-minute period, ASOS uses twenty-four 5-second averages to determine the 2-minute average wind speed and direction. Every minute ASOS stores the highest 5-second average speed for the past minute, along with its direction, in the 12-hour archive for additional processing. This highest speed value determines if a gust and/or a peak wind remark will be reported.

The new Vaisala 425NWS ASOS wind sensor is a sonic anemometer. With no moving parts, it should operate better in winter weather conditions. As with the Belfort sensor, over a 2-minute period, ASOS uses twenty-four 5-second averages to determine the 2-minute average wind speed and direction. But the highest 3-second running average speed is stored for gust and peak wind processing.

A list of the OAT site locations is included in the Technical Implementation Notice.

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Director's Dialog:
Employee Appraisal System

Is any consideration being given to NOAA utilizing an employee appraisal system that
is "performance based" to replace the current system used of "pass/fail" as part of the current "strategic planning" process? A performance-based employee appraisal system would more accurately reflect the high level of expertise and professionalism displayed by most of NOAA employees, which is evident on the recent list of award recipients. The current "pass/fail" system does not come close to reporting the real picture on employees' performance, their level of expertise, dedication, loyalty, and commitment.

I have not heard of NOAA plans to change the rating systems through the strategic planning process or otherwise. NOAA uses multiple appraisal systems for its employees. We use the two-tiered "pass/fail" system for our non-Senior Executive Service employees. At the time we moved to the two-tiered "pass/fail" system, some NOAA employees, outside of the National Weather Service, entered into a pay-for-performance demonstration known as "pay banding."

The goal of the pass/fail system is to encourage supervisors to use the NOAA Awards Program to recognize employee accomplishments throughout the year and not wait until the end of the rating period to give a performance bonus. Under this system, annual salary is based on set grades and steps. NOAA Awards still apply to employees in pay banding. However, in pay banding, employees under the demonstration are rated using a scoring system that helps managers to determine annual pay increases for employees based upon their performance. The National Weather is not participating in the pay banding demonstration.

Here are suggestions for getting the most out of the two-tiered performance system:

Ask your supervisor to prepare a narrative for your performance appraisal. The performance appraisal form, CD- 516, includes, an optional section for narrative.

Help your supervisor prepare this narrative with a list of your accomplishments. A Government Executive.com article says that employees can distinguish themselves and their accomplishments in a pass/fail system by providing their supervisor with a list of accomplishments. The article quotes Dizzy Dean, the great baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals who used to say, "It ain't braggin' if you done it!"

Familiarize yourself with the NOAA Awards program. Supervisors can use a variety of NOAA awards to recognize employees who demonstrate the "high level of expertise and professionalism" you describe. Each office has an annual line in their budget of at least 1.5 percent of their employee salaries for this purpose. Under the pass/fail system, the Quality Step Increase is the only performance award directly linked to the annual appraisal.

Supervisors and employees should have an ongoing dialog throughout the year about performance and not just during rating time. If you are not receiving the feedback you need, or desire more written feedback, ask for it.

–Jack Kelly, NWS Director

Have a question for the Director? Follow this link for guidelines for submitting a Director's Dialog question.

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Library Honors Man of Unique Importance

The NOAA Central Library in Silver Spring, MD, recently honored a pioneer in the field of meteorology. Charles Fitzhugh Talman was a meteorologist, scholar, author, lexicographer, and the official in charge of the Weather Bureau Library from 1908 until his death in 1936.

In a ceremony held October 29, 2002, a Special Collections Room was dedicated in Talman's name. The Talman Special Collections Room contains rare documents related to the history of the oceanic and atmospheric sciences and historical documents detailing the history of NOAA and its ancestor agencies.

Ed Johnson, director of the NWS Strategic Planning and Policy Office addressed those gathered for the dedication ceremony. He praised Talman as playing "a major role in creating the foundation for future learning and research." He added, "His stewardship of the Central Library during the early 20th century provided the backbone of progress in American meteorology."

As a tireless spokesman for the Weather Bureau, Talman helped educate the American public about weather phenomena. He produced over 3,000 radio addresses, authored 15 books, and published numerous articles in the popular and academic press of the day. His major contribution to meteorology was his compilation of over 15,000 weather terms from around the world which served as the basis for the first Weather Glossary, published posthumously by the Weather Bureau in 1946. To learn more about Talman and the Special Collections Room, click here.

The NOAA Library System is the largest, most comprehensive meteorological collection in the Western Hemisphere. This oceanographic and atmospheric sciences information resource contains well over 2,500,000 paper and electronic documents.

New Flood Brochure Now Available

New information has been added to update the 16-page color brochure "Floods, The Awesome Power" (NOAA PA 200253). The brochure is available at the National Logistics Supply Center (NLSC) in Kansas City, MO.

One of the augmented sections in the brochure covers low water crossing hazards and the incorrect public perception that Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) can navigate better through low water crossings due to their size and design, said Larry Wenzel of the Hydrologic Services Division, Office of Climate, Water, and Weather Services (OCWWS).

Wenzel said the brochure also provides more information about the link between tropical cyclones and their tendency to spawn inland flooding. The other new section in the brochure provides details about the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (AHPS) and its benefits to users.

Offices can order up to 300 copies from NLSC by faxing a Stores Requisition Form 34-7 to 816-926-7901. If you need more than 300 copies, contact Linda Kremkau (301-713-0090, ext.118) or Wenzel (301-713-0006, ext. 147) for approval.

Kremkau cautions people placing orders with the NLSC, be careful to use the correct publication number for the new Flood brochure (NOAA PA 200253) because it's only one digit different than from that of the StormReady (20053) brochure.

The brochure will soon be available on the OCWWS Web site at:
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/brochures.shtml.

The publication is a joint project of the National Weather Service, the American Red Cross, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency in collaboration with several other agencies.

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Speech Technology Behind New NOAA Weather Radio Voices Earns Industry Award

The text-to-speech technology behind the new NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) voice of "Donna" and "Craig" has earned an industry award sponsored by Speech Technology Magazine.

The Second Annual Speech Solutions Awards were presented in New York City on October 29, 2002, recognizing "the individuals and companies whose efforts have propelled the industry forward."

The NWR voice technology developed by SpeechWorks received the award for "Best Text To Speech Solution/Telephony."

Employee Milestones

• Click here to see NEW APPOINTMENTS/TRANSFERS to NWS through October 31, 2002.
• Click here to see RETIREMENTS/DEPARTURES from NWS through October 31, 2002.