A:\NC058114.htm

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1.    Purpose. This chapter contains general policy on the release of 
forecasts by other Federal agencies.  It should serve as a guide
in answering inquiries from the public and news media concerning
the use of forecasts from Federal sources other than the National
Weather Service (NWS).

2.    Background on Policy. The issuance of weather forecasts and
warnings is one of the functions of Government that has to be
centralized under one agency if the service is to be effective. 
Overlapping and possibly conflicting forecasts and advices to the
general public from different agencies would result either in
unnecessary duplication or in contradictions that would be
confusing and reduce the confidence in and effectiveness of the
service.  These factors underlie the principle recognized since the
beginning of modern meteorological service that there should be
one, and only one, national weather service in each country. 
Recognition of this principle led to the establishment of the NWS
in the last century (see Chapter A-02 for historical background). 
Certain other Federal agencies provide specialized meteorological
service.  The most notable are the Department of Defense (DOD) and
the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).  In so doing, the DOD is
primarily satisfying its own unique requirements, while the FAA is
serving the aviation community, using forecasts and advisories
prepared by NWS.  Neither DOD, FAA, nor any other Federal agency
providing specialized weather services is set up in terms of
mission or resources to serve the general public with forecasts and
warnings.

3.    Policy. The foregoing resume (section 2) gives the basis for
the long-established policy that government-prepared weather
forecasts and warnings for use by the general public and the news
media should be issued by the NWS and not by meteorological units
of other Federal agencies.

4.    Implementation of Policy. In general, other agencies
should have no difficulty in complying with this policy.  In a few
cases, however, news media representatives in places close to
weather offices of other agencies may express a desire to publish
or broadcast forecasts and warnings issued by these facilities. 
For the reasons given above, such actions should be discouraged on
the basis that in the long run it is a disservice to the public and
inconsistent with good administration of Government in that it
leads to the overlapping and duplication of Government activities. 
In some cases, the interested parties are not convenient to a
source of NWS information and it appears to them that there is a
justification for, and no duplication in, their proposals to obtain
forecasts and warnings from a nearby weather office.  Except in an
emergency, as specified in the next section, the basic policy
should nevertheless be followed as closely as possible and the
suggestion made that the interested parties obtain a connection to
NOAA Weather Wire Service, if available; or, alternately, a press
wire service.  Where one of these options is not acceptable,
consideration should be given to monitoring a NOAA Weather Radio
broadcast where such service is available.  As a last resort, and
where they have the information, consideration might be given to
having the local DOD or FAA office relay the latest NWS forecast to
the public.  In such cases, they would, of course, identify the NWS
as the source of the forecast.

5.    Exceptions.  Occasionally there are emergencies when NWS
forecasts and warnings are not obtainable.  Nothing in this policy
is to be construed as prohibiting the release of weather warnings
from any authoritative source when safety of life is involved and
official NWS advices are not available.

6.    Coordination of Policy.  This policy has been coordinated with
the agencies concerned and approved by the Office of the Federal
Coordinator for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research.