WYOMING CHAPTER
Association of Records Managers and Administrators
Chapter Meeting
April 11, 2006
Cheyenne NOAA –Weather Bureau, 1301 Airport Parkway, Cheyenne, WY

Please Note: These minutes are abridged.

Members Present: Tony Adams, Kristy Anderson, Mary Bauserman, Ramona Christensen, Donna Crock, Wendy Kinkade, Debbie Leonard, Pat Newbern, Vicki Seals, Jess Sheely, Barb Thomasee, Tim Tyler, Deanna Widauf, Rich Wilson.

Guests: Mark Browne, Sue Layman, Shirley Sheely

Speaker: Melissa Goering, Cheyenne NOAA, Senior Meteorologist

Topic: Cheyenne Weather Bureau (NOAA -National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration)

Members and guests met at the Cheyenne Weather Bureau, where everyone enjoyed a sack lunch ordered from the Bread Basket and a brief visit with each other. President Rich Wilson welcomed everyone. Wendy Kinkade then introduced Melissa Goering, Senior Meteorologist with the Cheyenne NOAA.

Melissa Goering began with information about herself and the Cheyenne NOAA. Melissa recently moved here from Tucson, AZ. NOAA is a Department of our U.S. Department of Commerce. The Cheyenne NOAA is one of two NOAA locations in Wyoming, and part of a multi-state regional area and divided up, with an area comprised of the states of Montana, South and North Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. The Wyoming regional offices in Cheyenne and Riverton work closely with respective NOAA locations in Billings, MT., Rapid City, SD, North Platte, NE, Boulder, CO, and Salt Lake City, UT., for cooperative observation and forecasts as well as emergency back up.

The Cheyenne NOAA facility is comprised of several areas. Melissa pointed out that the “ET” (Electrical shop) section of the Cheyenne NOAA facility is the one that keeps the technical and electrical equipment up and running. Their computer room and disaster ready systems work hand in hand with the immediate back up of the Riverton, Rapid City, Boulder, and other regional locations.

Melissa explained the primary function of NOAA is to “protect life and property”. This is accomplished through many functions at each NOAA location, and includes but is not limited to: Weather forecasts prepared and broadcast twice daily (between 3 and 3:30 a.m. and 3 and 3:30 p.m.); Fire forecasts (includes observations for spot forecasts including prescribed burns); Aviation forecasts (for Air Corp, commercial and private aircraft); Local area forecasts; Hydrology/Snow forecasts (including information for river drainage and flooding); and Barometrical statistics and climatic conditions and prediction which are described as related to ‘above or below normal climatic conditions’. Additional functions are accomplished through CRS-NOAA Weather Radio via different transmitters and AWPS-Advanced Weather Prediction System, which can only be viewed when the sun is up because it is a “visual or visible imagery”.

Following an overhead presentation about Nexrad Doppler Radar and the applications of this radar system, she explained radar reflectivity at various levels and what was seem on the screens was in fact a single “slice” at a specific level of the atmosphere. These screens are the radar readings done on a regular schedule by the radar instruments (located inside the large white ball atop the frame outside of the NOAA office) and are translated by various colors and related modes (software).

Melissa then showed everyone a weather balloon and box with sensors that are sent up with the balloon to record important upper air values that may not be recorded with other methods. When the sensors are returned, this valuable information about upper air conditions from the balloons sent up daily from specific locations through out the U.S., helps to give pertinent information about temperature, dew points and wind velocity that affects respective regional forecasts. Additional assistance is also obtained from local ‘weather spotters’. These are people from around the region that volunteer to attend a class and call in with specific weather information on a regular basis.

Melissa explained a very important part of all NOAA locations is their maintenance of function through a single time reference, which is called “ZULU” or “Greenwich” time. The time reference is from 18.0 Zulu or 11:00 (or for us using Daylight Saving- noon or 12:00). The reason for this single time reference is so all data entered in the various computer models from all over (sans the balloon sensor readings) will then be matched with satellite data, in order that forecasts will be as complete and correct as possible.

Melissa described the different workstations at the Bureau, which are exchanged regularly between employees on a weekly basis - these included the Short Term Desk, Long Term Desk, HMT Side, Hourly Observations, and Nowcasts. Melissa then described her current weekly position at the “Short term desk”, using 4 different computer screens and computer modules, and demonstrating several of the many, many different advanced imagery and weather forecasting software used at this station and at all of the NOAA locations. Melissa concluded her presentation and demonstration by sharing several websites with additional information as well as some interesting climatic statistics of our area. Two internet site addresses you may want to check out are the Cheyenne NOAA home page (includes Nexrad Doppler Radar) http://www.crh.noaa.gov/cys/ , and for surface observations and other related various location data: http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/mesonet/ .

Melissa’s presentation and tour of the Cheyenne Weather Bureau was very interesting and informative. After thanking Melissa for her presentation and tour, Rich reminded everyone of the upcoming events. On the way out of the NOAA office, everyone also enjoyed viewing the various framed photographs along the halls showcasing the beauty and awe of our varied local and regional weather.

Respectfully submitted by,

Pat Newbern
Secretary