From: National Weather Service
What: National Weather Service Facility Tour
When: November 10, 2015 2:30 PM
Our November meeting was a presentation and facility tour of the National Weather Service facility at Sterling (near Dulles Airport), Virginia. Our guest speaker and tour guide was meteorologist Chris Strong.
Although we didn't find any broadcast studios at NWS, there are numerous connections between this facility and broadcasting that we found interesting.
- Weather is an important and prominent aspect of broadcast programming.
- Many radio and television stations are dependent on NWS for accurate weather data and forecasting.
- There is a tremendous amount of technology involved in forecasting weather.
- Most radio and television stations are interconnected with NWS as part of the Emergency Alert System to quickly advise of weather emergencies.
The NOAA/National Weather Service's forecast and warning office for the Baltimore Washington region is located in Sterling, VA. They issue the weather watches and warnings for weather threats that impact us year round. The office utilizes high technology including satellite, radar, and super computers that model the atmosphere to evaluate and forecast the weather 24 hours per day, seven days per week, 365 days per year.
When something arises as a threat, the NOAA/National Weather Service alerts the media, government, and public of what to expect and how best to respond. They also create the forecasts for boaters on the Chesapeake Bay, and the airports in our region.
We started the meeting by briefly discussing some Chapter 37 business about 2:30 PM and Chris began his presentation and facility tour immediately afterward.