[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 128 (Wednesday, July 5, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34969-34970]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-16376]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


National Weather Service Transfer of Specific Products and 
Services to the Private Sector

AGENCY: National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice publishes the National Weather Service's plan to 
transfer Agricultural Weather Services, Fire Weather Services to non-
Federal agencies for non-wildfire activities, distribution of weather 
charts to marine radiofacsimile broadcast stations, and the production 
of the National Weather Summary to the private sector effective October 
1, 1995. As part of this plan, the Director of U.S. Private Weather 
Services will be made available to ensure a smooth transfer of these 
products and services to the private sector.

DATES: The date this action will become effective is October 1, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of documents stated within this Notice 
as being available upon request should be sent to the National Weather 
Service, Industrial Meteorology Staff, 1325 East-West Highway, #18462, 
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Edward Gross, 301-713-0258.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Fiscal year 1996 budget proposals include 
reductions in funding to the National Weather Service (NWS) which will 
result in the elimination of the following NWS services: Agricultural 
Weather Services, Fire Weather Services to non-Federal agencies for 
non-wildfire activities, distribution of weather charts to marine 
radiofacsimile broadcast stations, and the National Weather Summary. 
The NWS will be required to terminate products and services in these 
areas. This statement will notify users of those products and services 
that they will not be available after September 30, 1995.

    The Agricultural Weather Services and Fruit Frost Programs will be 
eliminated entirely. The following NWS products will no longer be 
available from the NOAA Weather Wire Service, the Family of Services, 
or via the NOAA Weather Radio:

Agricultural Weather Forecast

Fruit Frost Forecast
Special Agricultural Weather Advisory
Weather Advisory for Ag Operations
Agricultural Observations
30-day Agricultural Weather Outlook
International Weather and Crop Summary
National Agricultural Weather Highlights
Agricultural Weather Guidance
Cranberry Bog Forecasts

In addition, seven NWS offices providing Agricultural Weather Services 
exclusively will close. These offices are:

AWSC College Station, Texas
AWSC Stoneville, Mississippi
AWSC Auburn, Alabama
AWSC West Lafayette, Indiana
WSO Yuma, Arizona
WSO Twin Falls, Idaho
WSO Riverside, California

    Fire Weather Services to non-Federal agencies will be reduced. The 
following products and services will no longer be available to state 
and local fire management agencies:

Spot forecasts for prescribed burning
Spot forecasts for non-fire forest management activities (i.e., 
spraying, etc.)
Land Management forecasts
Transport and stability forecasts for smoke management
Consultation and liaison for non-wildfire activities

    Some offices that provide Fire Weather Services exclusively or a 
combination of Fire Weather and Agricultural Weather Services may be 
closed or consolidated. Meteorological support directly related to 
wildfire suppression will continue to be provided to all agencies. This 
support includes presuppression forecasts, National Fire Danger Rating 
System forecasts, fire weather watches, red flag warnings, incident 
response, and fire weather training for fire fighters.
    Currently, the NWS issues marine weather charts and transmits them 
to six marine radio stations for scheduled broadcast via radiofacsimile 
over frequencies in the maritime mobile radio spectrum. After September 
30, 1995, the NWS will cease transmitting weather charts to the six 
marine radio stations (station operator noted in parentheses), as 
follows:

NMF--Marshfield, Massachusetts (U.S. Coast Guard)
NMC--Pt. Reyes, California (U.S. Coast Guard)
NOJ--Kodiak, Alaska (U.S. Coast Guard)
WLO--Mobile, Alabama (Mobile Marine Radio, Inc.)
KVM70--Honolulu, Hawaii (Federal Aviation Administration)
WLC--Rogers City, Michigan (Central Radio, Inc.)

    The NWS will continue issuing the marine weather charts in 
conjunction with U.S. obligations under the International Convention 
for Safety of Life at Sea. Private-sector vendors (including the 
private marine radio stations WLO and WLC listed above) may access the 
charts from the NWS at no cost to the Government and disseminate them 
to the maritime community via radiofacsimile broadcast or other 
methods.
    The U.S. Navy broadcasts weather charts (produced by Naval 
meteorological echelons) from Cutler, Maine, (NAM); Pearl Harbor, 
Hawaii, (NPM); and Guam (NPN). Although intended for fleet support, 
these broadcasts are accessible by civilian users over open radio 
frequencies. These broadcasts will continue beyond October 1, 1995, as 
plans for conversion to encrypted fleet broadcasts have been delayed.
    The NWS will also cease production of the National Weather Summary.
    In order to ensure a smooth transfer of these products and services 
to the private sector, the Directory of U.S. Private Weather Services 
has been published. The Directory is intended as information with no 
implied endorsements. Requests for further information can be addressed 
directly to the individuals or companies. The names, addresses, and 
phone numbers in the Directory represent an initial compilation of 
private-sector 

[[Page 34970]]
meteorologists, as well as private weather service companies that 
provide commercial agricultural weather services and basic forecasting 
services which could also serve the needs of the non-Federal wildfire 
area community. The American Meteorological Society, the National 
Weather Association, and the Commercial Weather Services Association 
provided private-sector individuals and companies from their respective 
memberships. This Directory will be updated in the coming months as new 
listings and corrections are received and may be obtained from the 
address above.

    Dated: July 28, 1995.
Elbert W. Friday, Jr.,
Assistant Administrator for Weather Services.
[FR Doc. 95-16376 Filed 7-3-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-12-M