Saturday, December 02, 2006: National Hurricane Center Tour
Category: General
Today, the National Weather Service celebrated Skywarn Spotters Appreciation Day. We were invited to tour the National Hurricane Center and the NWS offices located on the campus of Florida International University in Miami.
The NWS Warning Coordination Meteorologist, Robert Molleda, was our tour guide. The tour began with a brief presentation on Florida's climate, El Niņo, and the 2006 hurricane season. This was presented in the media room where the various media outlets gather during storm events.
As we all know, Max Mayfield is retiring and no replacement has been chosen yet. Attempting to fill his chair is my hubby, Stephen. This spot is where the director sits when tropical updates are given to the news media.
This is a dropsonde that was sitting on a shelf in one of the hurricane hunters offices. A dropsonde is a weather reconnaissance device created by the National Center for Atmospheric Research. It was designed to more accurately measure tropical storm conditions as the device falls to the ground after being dropped from the hurricane hunters plane. The dropsonde contains a GPS receiver, along with pressure, temperature, and humidity (PTH) sensors to capture atmospheric profiles and thermodynamic data. It typically relays the data to a computer in the aircraft by radio transmission. The device's descent is usually slowed by a parachute, allowing for more readings to be taken before it reaches the water beneath. This enables forecasters to track and predict what may happen to the hurricane. To obtain the data, an aircraft, either operated by NOAA or the U.S. Air Force flies into the hurricane. The dropsonde is released when the plane reaches the eye of the hurricane, normally at around 10,000 feet.
This is the tropical prediction and forecast analysis room. The most widely known function of this room is to issue forecasts and warnings for tropical storms. It also issues daily marine and tropical weather based products. To the left is where the marine forecasts are worked on. These include text and graphical forecasts, subtropical and tropical surface analyses, tropical weather discussions and satellite based rainfall estimates. Many of the forecasters also participate in research and development.
This is the Miami-South Florida Weather Forecast Office. It is located in the same building with the NHC. The staff is responsible for issuing all warnings and forecasts for South Florida, Lake Okechoobee and the coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico out to fifty nautical miles. Robert Molleda was demonstrating the process used to issue forecasts and warnings. It was very interesting that once the data is written, it is then converted into a computer generated voice that issues the info on the NOAA radio.
The NWS Warning Coordination Meteorologist, Robert Molleda, was our tour guide. The tour began with a brief presentation on Florida's climate, El Niņo, and the 2006 hurricane season. This was presented in the media room where the various media outlets gather during storm events.
As we all know, Max Mayfield is retiring and no replacement has been chosen yet. Attempting to fill his chair is my hubby, Stephen. This spot is where the director sits when tropical updates are given to the news media.
This is a dropsonde that was sitting on a shelf in one of the hurricane hunters offices. A dropsonde is a weather reconnaissance device created by the National Center for Atmospheric Research. It was designed to more accurately measure tropical storm conditions as the device falls to the ground after being dropped from the hurricane hunters plane. The dropsonde contains a GPS receiver, along with pressure, temperature, and humidity (PTH) sensors to capture atmospheric profiles and thermodynamic data. It typically relays the data to a computer in the aircraft by radio transmission. The device's descent is usually slowed by a parachute, allowing for more readings to be taken before it reaches the water beneath. This enables forecasters to track and predict what may happen to the hurricane. To obtain the data, an aircraft, either operated by NOAA or the U.S. Air Force flies into the hurricane. The dropsonde is released when the plane reaches the eye of the hurricane, normally at around 10,000 feet.
This is the tropical prediction and forecast analysis room. The most widely known function of this room is to issue forecasts and warnings for tropical storms. It also issues daily marine and tropical weather based products. To the left is where the marine forecasts are worked on. These include text and graphical forecasts, subtropical and tropical surface analyses, tropical weather discussions and satellite based rainfall estimates. Many of the forecasters also participate in research and development.
This is the Miami-South Florida Weather Forecast Office. It is located in the same building with the NHC. The staff is responsible for issuing all warnings and forecasts for South Florida, Lake Okechoobee and the coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico out to fifty nautical miles. Robert Molleda was demonstrating the process used to issue forecasts and warnings. It was very interesting that once the data is written, it is then converted into a computer generated voice that issues the info on the NOAA radio.
tj wrote:
Cool.