[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 66 (Monday, April 6, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 19143]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-07060]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Surveys To Collect 
Data on Use of the NOAA National Weather Service Cone of Uncertainty

    The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of 
information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 
U.S.C. Chapter 35).
    Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
    Title: Surveys to Collect Data on Use of the NOAA National Weather 
Service Cone of Uncertainty.
    OMB Control Number: 0648-NEW.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Request: Regular submission (request for new information 
collection).
    Number of Respondents: 1,406.
    Average Hours per Response: 20 minutes per response.
    Burden Hours: 468.5 hours (1,406 x 20 = 28,120/60 = 468.5).
    Needs and Uses: The NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) National 
Hurricane Center (NHC) produces tropical cyclone text and graphical 
products to provide critical information about meteorological 
parameters of tropical storms and hurricanes that could threaten the 
United States and other countries. While NOAA has a good understanding 
of how many of its core partners (i.e., emergency management personnel 
and broadcast meteorologists/members of the media) use these graphics, 
it is interested in how other professionals within key sectors (i.e., 
transportation, marine, tourism, energy) and international users 
perceive these products and use them in decision-making. In particular, 
NOAA is interested in input on the NHC Track Forecast Cone (often 
referred to as the Cone of Uncertainty). In addition to appearing on 
NHC's website, the Cone is widely disseminated on social media, online 
(e.g., local and national news websites), and on television--with 
broadcast meteorologists and private weather industry often making 
their own version of the graphic.
    This request is for a web-based survey to collect data about the 
interpretation and use of the Cone of Uncertainty in the decision-
making of key sectors that are at significant risk during a hurricane: 
energy/utilities, tourism, transportation, and marine. NOAA will use 
the data from the survey to determine how embedded the Cone of 
Uncertainty is in these key stakeholders' decision-making, as well as 
to determine what those decisions and implications look like (life and 
safety, loss reduction, other). It is vitally important for the NHC to 
understand this information before making any changes to the Cone 
graphic (e.g., visualization changes with the intent of improving 
understanding).
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Frequency: Once.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority:
    This information collection request may be viewed at 
www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view the Department of 
Commerce collections currently under review by OMB.
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be submitted within 30 days of the publication of 
this notice on the following website www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. 
Find this particular information collection by selecting ``Currently 
under 30-day Review--Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search 
function and entering the title of the collection.

Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2020-07060 Filed 4-3-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-KE-P