[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 43 (Monday, March 4, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8259-8260]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-4902]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


National Weather Service To Discontinue the Issuance of All 
Routine Agricultural Forecasts and Fruit Frost Forecasts

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice updates the National Weather Services (NWS) plans 
to transfer Agricultural Weather Services to the private sector, notice 
of which was published on July 5, 1995; see National Weather Service 
Transfer of Specific Products and Services to the Private Sector, 60 
Fed. Reg. 34969.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This action becomes effective April 1, 1996, for 
routine agricultural forecasts and April 20, 1996, for fruit frost 
forecasts.

ADDRESSES: 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: On July 5, 1995, the National Weather 
Service (NWS) announced that it planned to transfer specific products 
and services to the private sector effective October 1, 1995. 
Subsequently, concerns were raised about the disruption of critical 
forecasts to regions of the United States dependent on receiving NWS 
agricultural weather services and the Conference Report for the 
Department of Commerce Fiscal Year 1996.
    Appropriations Bill to accompany H.R. 2076 noted that, ``it may be 
necessary within funds available to provide Agricultural Weather 
Services for a limited time.''
    Accordingly, NWS has continued and will continue routine 
agricultural forecasts until April 1, 1996, and will continue those 
Fruit Frost Forecasts that it has already commenced providing until 
April 20, 1996. At that time, funds available for Agricultural Weather 
Services will be exhausted. However, if a freeze or very cold weather 
is in progress on April 20, 1996, fruit frost products will continue 
until the episode ends.
    The NWS has been notifying customers of changes to its Agricultural 
Weather Services program since July 1995. The provision of these 
services has been extended from October 1, 1995 until April 20, 1996 
for the purpose of minimizing the disruption of critical forecasts to 
certain regions and to allow customers an opportunity to find 
alternative sources of agricultural weather information from the 
private sector. This action complies with the conference language of 
maintaining a goal of smoothly transferring services to those private 
sector vendors capable and willing to assume them.
    The following NWS agricultural products will no longer be 
available:

Agricultural Weather Forecast
Fruit Frost Forecast
Special Agricultural Weather Advisory
Weather Advisory for Ag Operations
30-day Agricultural Weather Outlook
National Agricultural Weather Highlights
Cranberry Bog Forecasts

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Joint Agricultural Weather 
Facility will continue producing the International Weather and Crop 
Bulletin.


[[Page 8260]]

    Dated: February 27, 1996.
Susan F. Zevin,
Deputy Administrator for Operations.
[FR Doc. 96-4902 Filed 3-1-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-08-M