NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

NOAA DISSEMINATION SYSTEMS

NWSRFS

INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOPKANSAS CITY

KEN PUTKOVICHOCTOBER 22, 2003

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

MISSION STATEMENT

• The National Weather Service (NWS) provides weather, hydrologic, and climatic forecasts and warnings for the United States, its territories, and adjacent waters and ocean areas, for the protection of life and property and the enhancement of the national economy. NWS data and products form a national information database and infrastructure which can be used by other government agencies, the private sector, the public and the global community.

• To achieve this mission, the NWS will continue to:

“Enhance dissemination and information exchange service”

DISSEMINATION

Dissemination is the timely delivery of information from a source to a user.

NWS information delivery is either:

Routine – Weather, Hydrologic, Climatic Forecasts

Emergency – All Hazard Warnings & Watches

MAJOR NWS DISSEMINATION SYSTEMS

• NOAA Weather Wire Service (NWWS)

• NOAA Weather Radio (NWR)

• Emergency Managers Weather Information Network (EMWIN)

• Internet Weather Information Network (IWIN)

• Family of Services (FOS)

NOAA Weather Wire Service (NWWS)

• Coverage: U.S., incl. AK. HI, & PR• Delivery Delay: Seconds• End User: Emergency Manager/Mass Media• User Cost: $150 per month• Product Type: Text and Graphics• Pros: Fast and reliable• Cons: Expensive

NWWS Diagram

Acrobat Document

Emergency Managers Weather Information Network (EMWIN)

• Coverage: GOES Satellite Footprint

• Delivery Delay: Minutes

• End User: Everyone

• User Cost: $700 Initial

• Product Type: All

• Pros: Low cost

• Cons: Timeliness

Internet Weather Information Network (IWIN)

• Coverage: Global/Internet Access

• Delivery Delay: Minutes

• End User: Public, Emergency Managers

• User Cost: ISP and PC

• Product Type: All except audio

• Pros: Low cost

• Cons: Timely access

Family of Services (FOS

• Coverage: Anywhere Telephone Available• Delivery Delay: Minutes• End User: Weather Industry/Research• User Cost: $ Thousands per product suite• Product Type: All NWS Products except audio• Pros: All products• Cons: Cost

AWIPS NOAAPort

• Coverage: National• Delivery Delay: Minutes• End User: Weather Industry/Research• User Cost: $ Thousands• Product Type: All NWS products except audio• Pros: All Products• Cons: Cost

NOAA Weather Radio (NWR)

• Coverage: 95% of U.S. population

• Delivery Delay: Seconds

• End User: Public/Emergency Mangers

• User Cost: $40-100, one time for receiver

• Product Type: Audio with alarm

• Pros: Timely and reliable

• Cons: Requires special receiver

TRANSMITTER SITE

TELEPHONE

UHF RADIO

MICROWAVE LINK

5 WATT

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

ANTENNA

CONSOLE

TO

1000 WATT

CONSOLE AT WFO

TRANSMITTER

ROAMSDIAL UP TELEPHONE

NWR STATION

NWR Population Coverage Map

NWR Population State Coverage Map

NWR Coverage, Number of Stations by State

NWR Location Map

Acrobat Document

NWR STATION COST

• TRANSMITTERS

– $24 TO $44 THOUSAND

• COMPLETE STATION

– ALL INFRASTRUCTURE AVAILABLE - $50 THOUSAND– NO INFRASTRUCTURE AVAILABLE - $200 THOUSAND+

• O & M COST

– $8 TO $14 THOUSAND PER YEAR

RECENT NETWORK GROWTH

NWR RECEIVERS

• AVAILABLE 2000 AND EARLIER– 20 BRANDS– 100 MODELS– STANDARD NWR, SAME NWR, MARINE, AIRCRAFT, AUTO/TRUCK,

SCANNER, CB, AM/FM/MULTIBAND

• AVAILABLE 2001– FAMILY RADIO TRANSCEIVERS – RADAR DETECTORS

• AVAILABLE 2003– TELEVISION

• FUTURE POTENTIAL– “SMART HOMES”– HOME SECURITY SYSTEMS– INTERNET RADIO

SYSTEM UPGRADESIN PROGRESS

• REMOTE OFF AIR MONITORING (ROAMS)– CALLS WHEN TRANSMITTER FAILS– ALLOWS PERFORMANCE & AUDIO QUALITY QUERY – INTERFACED TO BROADCAST CONSOLE – MONITORS SAME BROADCAST– NATIONAL AUTOMATED MONITORING

• ALL HAZARDS– DIRECT ACCESS FOR STATIONS AT NUCLEAR, CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL

STORAGE FACILITIES– ACCESS FOR NATIONAL, STATE AND LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

BROADCASTS VIA NEW AWIPS INTERFACE

• MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM– CENTRALIZED NWR DATABASE– COST AND PERFORMANCE MONITORING – SELECTIVE PUBLIC ACCESS VIA INTERNET

National Emergency Warning SystemInitiative

• NEAR TERM ( 1 YEAR )

– IMPROVE NATIONAL AND LOCAL ACCESS TO NWS COLLECTION AND DISSEMINATION SYSTEMS

• MID-TERM ( 1 - 5 YEARS )

– UPGRADE AND INTEGRATE NWS SYSTEMS TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE AND PROVIDE SECURE, UNIVERSAL ACCESS FROM MULTIPLE LOCATIONS

• LONG TERM (> 5 YEARS )

– PURSUE NEWER, MORE COST EFFECTIVE MEANS OF PROVIDING DIRECT, EFFECTIVE ALL-HAZARD WARNINGS TO THOSE MOST IMMEDIATELY AT RISK

Current NWS Configuration

Near Term Configuration

Mid Term Configuration

USDA NWR PARTNERSHIP

USDA HAS $5 MILLION FOR GRANTS IN FY 2001 FOR NWR EXPANSION IN RURAL AREAS

• COOPERATORS WITH TOWERS AND FACILITIES IN AREAS WITHOUT COVERAGE HAVE THEIR INITIATIVES FOR NEW NWR STATIONS APPROVED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

• NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE APPROVED COOPERATORS APPLY TO USDA FOR GRANT FUNDING OF STATION EQUIPMENT AND INSTALLATION ($ 80K)

• USDA APPROVED GRANTEE BUYS AND INSTALLS TRANSMITTER & ANTENNA AT APPROVED FACILITY

• NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LICENSES STATION & PROVIDES INSTALLATION SUPPORT

• COOPERATOR TESTS AND DONATES OPERATING STATION TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

• NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OPERATES AND MAINTAINS STATION

SYSTEM UPGRADES PROPOSED

• STATION MODERNIZATION– NEW TRANSMITTERS AND EMERGENCY POWER– ENHANCE TELECOMMUNICATIONS TO

TRANSMITTER

• TEXT BROADCAST– ACCESS TO DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING– LOW COST NWWS/EMWIN BROADCAST

• INTERNET BROADCAST– ACCESS TO ANY NWR BROADCAST ANYWHERE– WATCHES AND WARNINGS ON INTERNET RADIO

PROPOSED NWR INITIATIVESFY 2005-2009

• EXPANSION– 125 NEW STATIONS THRU NWS BUDGET– 150 NEW STATIONS THRU USDA GRANT PROGRAM AND

PARTNERSHIPS

• UPGRADES– 400 STATIONS REFURBISHED – TELECOMMUNICATIONS LINKS TO ALL NWR STATIONS

CONVERTED TO DIGITAL SATELLITE – SATELLITE UPLINKS AT ALL NWS OFFICES AND CENTERS

• OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE– PROVIDE O & M FOR ALL NEW (1995 TO 2009) STATIONS AND ALL

NEW SATELLITE LINKS

DISABILITY ISSUES

• AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT

• TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACT OF 1996

• REHABILITATION ACT OF 1973

WARNING SYSTEMSFEATURES REQUIRED BY PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

• ALARMING DEVICES COMPATIBLE WITH IMPAIRMENT

• WARNING PROVIDED IN TIMELY MANNER

• WARNING EASILY UNDERSTOOD

• WARNING HAS INFORMATION REQUIRED FOR ACTION

• WARNING IS SPECIFIC AS TO EVENT

• WARNING IS SPECIFIC AS TO LOCATION

• BATTERY OR OTHER EMERGENCY POWER

SYSTEM THAT MOST MEETS NEEDS OF DISABLED

NOAA WEATHER RADIO

• INEXPENSIVE, TIMELY, & RELIABLE• PROGRAMMABLE FOR LOCATION AND EVENT• ALARMS COMPATIBLE WITH IMPAIRMENT• AVAILABLE TO OVER 95% OF POPULATION• WARNING LEVELS & LEAD TIMES MEET

VARIED NEEDS• OPERATES OFF SEVERAL EMERGENCY POWER

SYSTEMS• HAS AUDIO AND VISUAL OUTPUTS• CAN ACTIVATE EXTERNAL WARNING DEVICES

REPORTS• “SAVING LIVES WITH AN ALL-HAZARD NETWORK”

– PREPARED BY MULTI-AGENCY NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP FOR REINVENTING GOVERNMENT WORKING GROUP - PUBLISHED DECEMBER 1999

– HARDCOPY FROM NWS - NOAA

• “EFFECTIVE HAZARDS WARNINGS”

– PREPARED BY EXECUTIVE OFFICE WORKING GROUP ON NATIONAL DISASTER INFORMATION SERVICE - PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 2000

– AVAILABLE VIA INTERNET AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS: “http://www.nnic.noaa.gov/CENR/NDISrevOct27.pdf”

• “WEATHER RADIO INTEREST AND AWARENESS”

– PREPARED BY eBRAIN.CONSUMER RESEARCH - PUBLISHED August 2002– AVAILABLE FROM THE CONSUMER ELECTRONICS ASSOCIATION

• “NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR INTEGRATED PUBLIC WARNING POLICY AND CAPABILITY”

– PREPARED BY THE PARTNERSHIP FOR PUBLIC WARNING - PUBLISH JANUARY- FEBRUARY 2003

WARNING SYSTEMSINFORMATION ON THE INTERNET

• NWS Home Page - http://www.nws.noaa.gov

• NWS Home Page - http://www.weather.gov

• National Hurricane Center - http://www. nhc.noaa/om

• NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) -http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr

• Partnership for Public Warning - http://www.partnershipforpublicwarning.org