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This chapter describes the various types of agricultural weather service products and their times of release for dissemination.

2. Agricultural Weather Forecasts. Forecasts tailored to the needs of agriculture are prepared by a designated WSFO or WSO in states having an agricultural weather program.

2.1 Daily Agricultural Forecasts - WSFO Issuance. Special agricultural parameters for agricultural interests are included in daily forecasts with a paragraph devoted to each item. The number of parameters forecast may vary with particular agricultural activity or with season. Forecasts generally cover a single state; however, separate agricultural forecasts for two or more areas of a state may be prepared for those states in which the agriculture-weather situation varies distinctly from one part of the state to another

2.1.1 Frequency and Time of Issue. Agriculture weather forecasts are issued two times per day in those areas having an agricultural weather service program. The period covered by these forecasts will be the same as that for the zones; i.e., morning forecast for today, tonight, and tomorrow; the evening forecast for tonight, tomorrow, tomorrow night, and the next day. Only the morning and early evening forecasts will be required issuances (around 5 a.m. and p.m.). Updated or other special forecasts may be prepared and transmitted at any time as the weather or agricultural situations require.

2.1.2 Content and Format. The parameters and general guidelines for agricultural forecasts are listed below. Each parameter is to be forecast for the entire area of forecast concern. (see Exhibit D-40-1)

Precipitation: Preference should be given to use of the same descriptive terms as used in the zone forecasts (chance, likely, etc.). Areal terms (scattered, few, numerous, etc.) may be used to handle complex weather situations. However, the two will generally not be used in combination. Additionally, probabilities are included in a generalized fashion, not so involved as to be confusing. The amount of rainfall expected in the next 36 hours, expressed in general terms or ranges, completes the section. Timing of rain should be spelled out if possible.

Drying Conditions: Express as a qualitative value, i.e., poor, fair, good, or excellent. In addition, include a value or range of lowest relative humidities expected.

Dew: Forecast the intensity of wetness, i.e., light dew, moderate dew, heavy dew, or rain and the length of time vegetation will be wet. Include the time of dew formation or of rain wetting and the time of expected sunshine if possible.

ZCZC
FXUS8 RWRC 081030
ARKANSAS AGRICULTURAL WEATHER FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
530 AM CDT TH MAY 8 1975

PRECIPITATION...CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY...MOST NUMEROUS OVER THE SOUTHEAST. RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL AVERAGE AROUND 1/2 INCH...EXCEPT LOCALLY HEAVIER AMOUNTS ESPECIALLY OVER THE SOUTHEAST.

PRECIPITATION PR08ABILITY WILL BE 50 PERCENT IN THE SOUTHEAST TODAY. OTHERWISE 30 TO 40 PERCENT WILL BE THE RULE OVER MOST OF THE STATE TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

DRYING CONDITIONS...GENERALLY POOR TODAY WITH MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITIES NEAR 60 PERCENT THIS AFTERNOON. FAIR FRIDAY WITH MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITIES AROUND 50 TO 55 PERCENT.

DEW POINTS...NDSTLY IN THE 60S WITH A FEW low 70S IN THE SOUTH TODAY TONIGHT AND FRIDAY.
SUNSHINE...AROUND 7 HOURS TODAY. AROUND 9 HOURS FRIDAY.

OUTLOOK...CHANCE OF SHOWERS SATURDAY. LITTLE OR NO RAIN SUNDAY OR MONDAY. LOWS IN THE 60S SATURDAY AND IN THE 50S SUNDAY AND MONDAY. HIGHS MOSTLY IN THE 80S.

Outlook: A brief, generalized statement of important weather features to be expected including air temperatures during the three- to five-day period beyond the end of current forecast. The evening agricultural forecast will not contain this element.

Other items not previously mentioned which may be of importance to specific agricultural activity in your area may be included daily or on a seasonal basis.

2.2 Agricultural Weather Forecast - WSO Issuance. In some cases agricultural weather forecasts and forecasts of minimum temperature related to fruit and vegetable production are made by designated WSO's. These WSO's do not prepare a zone forecast but do prepare a weather forecast which incorporates the zone forecast parameters and add the extra forecast parameters needed by the agricultural industry.

2.3 Specialized Agricultural Weather Forecasts. From time to time during the year, there exists a need for special weather forecasts of a relatively short-time nature for one or more segments of the agricultural industry. It is the responsibility of the Director/MIC of the Environmental Study Service Center (ESSC) or the Advisory Agricultural Meteorologist (AAM) to keep the MIC of the office responsible for the agricultural weather forecasts informed of the needs for such special weather forecasts and the parameters to be forecast.

2.3.1 Time and Frequency of Issue. Special forecasts will be issued as needed. The time of transmission will be determined after consultations between the Director/MIC of the ESSC or the AAM, the MIC of the forecast office, and regional headquarters.

2.3.2 Content and Format. The content and format will be dictated by the nature of the special forecast parameters of concern.

2.4 Thirty-Day Agricultural Weather Outlook. Each office responsible for the agricultural weather forecasts will be responsible for the 30-day outlook for the particular area.

2.4.1 Frequency and Time of Issue. The 30-day Agricultural Weather Outlook will be released at a designated time on the NOAA Weather Wire schedule as coordinated with the regional headquarters. These outlooks will be issued two times each month, near the 1st and 15th.

2.4.2 Content and Format. The 30-day Agricultural Weather Outlook will give the expected weather in terms of temperature and precipitation above or below normal.

The format will be that of regular sentence and paragraph structure worded in such a manner that it is readily readable by the news broadcaster.

3. Agricultural Weather Advisories. The basic mission of the ESSC or the Agricultural Weather Service Office (AWSO) is the formulation and dissemination of advisories relating meteorological events, forecasts, and climatological data to the agriculture of the office's area of responsibility. These advisories should be consistent with the forecasts issued by the relevant WSFO.

3.1 Agricultural Operational Weather Advisories. Operational weather advisories will be issued routinely during the growing season.

3.1.1 Frequency and Time of Issue. Agricultural weather operational advisories will normally be issued daily. During the more active crop and harvest season, consideration should be given to issuing a morning and an afternoon advisory. Only a morning advisory will be issued during that part of the year when farm activities are at a minimum. The time of release will be near 10 a.m. for the morning advisory and near 4:30 p.m. for the afternoon advisory.

3.1.2 Content and Format. The content of the advisories depends upon the seasonal farm activities (see Exhibit D-40-2). Significant crop stage, crop condition, and farm activities information is gained through contact with the State Cooperative Extension Offices, Experiment Stations, and farmers to ascertain current farm operations and agroweather problems that should be covered in the advisories. This information may also be gained in part from farm crop calendars developed in cooperation with the State Extension Services or from Experiment Station publications.

The Agricultural Operational Weather Advisories issued in the morning contain a summary of past weather and weather-influenced soil conditions for the previous 24 hours. It also contains a statement on the expected weather regimes of the next 4 or 5 days and an interpretation of the general effects they will have on crops and farm operations.

Additional advisories are added as needed in reference to the weather information which is significant for individual crops or farm operations.

ALL BUT THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF ALABAMA HAVE RECEIVED PRECIPITATION IN EXCESS OF A HALF INCH DURING THE PAST 48 HOURS. MANY FARM COMMUNITIES OF WEST...CENTRAL...AND NORTH ALABAMA HAVE MEASURED OVER TWO INCHES IN THE PAST TWO DAYS AND A FEW OVER THREE INCHES.

FURTHERMORE...THE RAINS ARE NOT OVER. FORECASTERS ARE CALLING FOR SHOWERS AND HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS TO SPREAD ACROSS THE STATE TODAY. CONTINUING FRIDAY. THIRTY-SIX HOUR RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED TO AVERAGE AROUND ONE INCH IN THE NORTH AND TWO INCHES IN THE SOUTH.

LOCAL AMOUNTS UP TO FOUR INCHES ARE EXPECTED IN SOME SOUTHERN COUNTIES. NO REAL LET UP IN THE PRESENT RAINY PATTERN IS EXPECTED UNTIL THE FIRST OF NEXT WEEK.

HEAVY RAINS WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF FIELDS ESPECIALLY IN THE SOUTHERN FARM AREAS. FARMERS ARE ADVISED TO REMOVE FARM MACHINERY AND LIVESTOCK FROM LOW-LYING FIELDS ALONG STREAMS SUBJECT TO FLOODING AT THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE HOUR .

THE WASHING OF FIELDS...POSSIBLE DROWNING OF CROPS...AND THE LEACHING OF RECENTLY APPLIED FERTILIZER WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCE OF HEAVY PRECIPITATION AT THIS TIME. FURTHERMORE...SOILS WILL REMAIN TOO WET TO WORK OR TO SUPPORT FARM MACHINERY FOR SOME time FOLLOWING THE RAINS. THE ALREADY LATE SPRING PLANTING WILL BE EVEN FURTHER DELAYED.

ZCZC
FXUS8 STVM6 081600
ARKANSAS AGRICULTURAL OPERATIONAL WEATHER ADVISORY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STONEVILLE MI
11 AM CDT TH MAY 8 1975

A STAGNANT WEATHER PATTERN CONTINUES OVER ARKANSAS AS FRONTAL SYSTEMS ARE SHOWING LITTLE TENDENCY FOR SIGNIFICANT M0VEMENT.

SHOWERS WERE CONFINED TO THE SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PORTIONS OF THE STATE IN THE PAST 24 HOURS WITH PINE BLUFF COLLECTING 7/10 OF AN INCH FOR THE HEAVIEST AM0UNT REPORTED.

ELSEWHERE, RECENT RAINS HAVE SOILS TOO WET FOR FIELD WORK IN MUCH OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTH DELTA WHILE LESSER RAINFALL Amounts HAVE BEEN NOTED IN THE NORTHEAST. JONESBORO HAS ONLY RECORDED AROUND 1/2 INCH SINCE THE FIRST OF THE MONTH, AND THE AMOUNT OF FIELD WORK ACCOMPLISHED REFLECTS THIS TOTAL.

SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS WILL-T. AGAIN BE THE MOST FAVORED AREA FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SH0WERS TODAY AND TONIGHT, WITH DECREASING RAINFALL PROBABILITIES ON FRIDAY.

THE C0MBINATION OF BORDERLINE WIND SPEEDS AND RATHER HIGH SHOWER PROBABILITIES DOES NOT MAKE FOR IDEAL SPRAYING PROSPECTS FOR WEED CONTROL IN RICE IN THE GRAND PRAIRIE. S0ME OPERATORS WILL BE GOING AHEAD WITH THESE HERBICIDE APPLICATIONS ANYWAY, BECAUSE FORECASTS FRIDAY CONTINUE TO CARRY PROBABILITIES AS HIGH AS 30 PERCENT WHICH DOES NOT INDICATE THAT MUCH BETTER CONDITIONS WILL BE AVAILABLE THEN.

THE EXTENDED OUTLOOK ENVISIONS AN END TO THE SHOWERS SUNDAY AND MONDAY SOMEWHAT COOLER NIGHT-TIME TEMPERATURES AS WELL.

Morning advisories concentrate on weather advice necessary for farm operational decisions for the day of issue. The afternoon advisory is for the next day's operational planning. Information should not be duplicated in the morning and afternoon advisories.

3.2 Special Agricultural Weather Action Advisories. Special non-routine advisories may be issued at any time developing weather conditions indicate the need for emergency action by the farmer or other agricultural interest.

4. Dissemination of Agricultural Weather Service Products. An effective Agricultural Weather Service must have a means of disseminating the agricultural weather forecasts, farm advisories, and weather observational data. The NOAA Weather Wire and other means of communications will be used to distribute this agricultural weather information to the mass news disseminators (see WSOM Chapter C-63). NOAA Weather Radio (VHF-FM) should be used in those areas where the "umbrella" encompasses an agricultural community. These products should be broadcast during an appropriate time period in the morning and afternoon. Consideration should also be given to the use of automatic telephones for disseminating agricultural weather information in highly developed agricultural communities.

4.1 Dissemination Media. Radio and television broadcasts are the most expedient means of reaching people engaged in agriculture. Newspapers which have wide distribution are effective in the dissemination of climatological information, longer range forecasts and advisories.

4.2 Priority Rating. This subsection provides guidance to the MIC at the forecast office in assigning priorities to weather information as follows:

a. Warnings or forecasts of severe weather that constitute a threat to life or property have the highest priority of all traffic.

b. Special Agricultural Weather Action Advisories should have a priority second to severe weather warnings and forecasts.

c. Special agricultural releases that are not of an emergency nature have a low priority. They should be transmitted regularly at a scheduled release time.

d. Priority second to warnings of an agricultural nature (see b. above) should be given to regularly scheduled transmissions which are required by other offices at a particular time in order to meet their scheduled deadlines.

Primary reliance for daily agricultural forecast information is upon the Overlay Teletypewriter Circuit connecting the ESSC with the WSFO's in their area of concern. In addition to transmitting the forecasts on NOAA Weather Wire Service (NWWS), the WSFO transmits the forecast to the ESSC via the Overlay Circuit.

General weather information in chart form, both prognosis and current information, is received at the ESSC by way of the telecopier. One or two WSFO's are designated to furnish the ESSC with several charts since facsimile products are not available at the ESSC's.

FTS telephone system is employed by the ESSC and the Agricultural Weather Service Office (AWSO) in data collection and in coordination with the WSFO's and land grant universities within their area of concern.