704
ABUS34 KSFO 031906
PNSSFO
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN FRANCISCO CALIFORNIA
1205 PM PDT WED MAY 3 1995
...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COMMISSIONS A NEW DOPPLER WEATHER
RADAR IN CENTRAL CALIFORNIA...
THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE
(NWSFO) LOCATED IN MONTEREY CALIFORNIA STEPPED INTO THE MODERN ERA
OF WEATHER DETECTION TODAY. AT NOON A NEW WEATHER SURVEILLANCE
DOPPLER RADAR FOR THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA WAS COMMISSIONED.
THE COMMSSIONING MILESTONE MARKS A MAJOR COMPONENT OF THE MASSIVE
MODERNIZATION PROGRAM UNDERWAY AT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE (NWS)
OFFICES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THIS EFFORT WILL DRAMATICALLY CHANGE THE
WAY THE NWS GATHERS AND PROCESSES WEATHER DATA. NEW TECHNOLOGY...
INCLUDING AUTOMATIC WEATHER OBSERVATION STATIONS...DOPPLER WEATHER
RADARS...NEXT GENERATION SATELLITES...FORECASTER WORKSTATIONS AND
ENHANCED COMPUTERS...ARE BEING INTRODUCED INTO NWS OPERATIONS.
WHEN COMPLETE...THE NATIONWIDE DOPPLER RADAR NETWORK WILL CONSIST
OF APPROXIMATELY 120 RADARS. THIS RADAR SYSTEM IS A JOINT PROJECT OF
THE NWS...FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION...AND THE DEPARTMENT OF
DEFENSE. THE NEW SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA RADAR IS LOCATED ON MCQUEEN
RIDGE (MT. UMUNHUM) IN THE SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS (ABOUT 11 MILES SOUTH
OF SAN JOSE). IT HAS BEEN OPERATING IN A TEST MODE SINCE APRIL 1994.
THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA RADAR WILL BE THE FIRST RADAR DEDICATED TO
WEATHER COVERAGE OF THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY REGION. DOPLLER RADAR
PRODUCTS...WHICH INCLUDE REFLECTIVITY...RADIAL VELOCITY AND
PRECIPITATION ACCUMULATION...WILL BE KEY TOOLS FOR THE NWS IN
PROVIDING EARLIER AND IMPROVED WARNINGS FOR SEVERE WEATHER AND UP TO
THE MINUTE WEATHER INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC.
DURING THE HEAVY RAIN EVENTS OF JANUARY AND MARCH 1995...RADAR DATA
ENABLED FORECASTERS TO IDENTIFY AND TRACK AREAS OF HEAVY RAIN BEFORE
THEY MOVED INTO FLOOD PRONE AREAS. THIS AIDED IN RAPID ISSUANCE OF
WARNINGS TO THE PUBLIC. FOR EXAMPLE...ON JANUARY 9TH...THE SAN
FRANCISCO BAY AREA NWS OFFICE ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR SANTA
CRUZ COUNTY BASED IN PART ON INFORMATION FROM THE RADAR. BASED ON
THE WARNING...PEOPLE WERE EVACUATED FROM THE TOWN OF SOQUEL...AND
TWO HOURS LATER FLOODING OCCURRED.
THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA RADAR WILL PROVIDE COVERAGE PRIMARILY TO
THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA COASTAL AREA FROM SONOMA COUNTY SOUTH TO SAN
LUIS OBISPO COUNTY. DOPPLER WEATHER RADARS ARE ALSO LOCATED NEAR
EUREKA...SACRAMENTO...HANFORD AND VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS RADAR OR ANY OTHER FACET OF THE
NWS MODERNIZATION...PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO CALL MR. CHARLES
MORRILL...WARNING COORDINATION METEOROLOGIST...AT THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN MONTEREY AT 408-656-1710.
DYKEMA