NWS Lightning Data

• To: NWS.DIRS
• Subject: NWS Lightning Data
• From: J.PAREIN
• Date: Tue, 6 Apr 1993 16:40:28 -0600

Forwarded message:

Posted: Tue, Apr  6, 1993   3:32 PM EDT              Msg: MGJD-5626-5511
CC:     L.MILLER.UCAR, J.CAMPBELL.NOAA
Subj:   NWS Lightning Data                            
  
April 6, 1993

TO:       Distribution

FROM:     W/OSD5 - John B. Jalickee
          Chairman Technical Committee

SUBJECT:  NWS Lightning Data 


On August 31, 1993 the National Weather Service (NWS) awarded a
contract for national lightning data with options to renew
through September, 1996, to Atmospheric Research Systems, Inc.
(ARSI) .  This contract  provides the NWS, and optionally other
Government agencies, with real-time reports of lightning strike
location, strength, and polarity.  Both ground and cloud
lightning are included as well as status messages describing the
health of the ARSI system.  The area of coverage includes the
contiguous 48 United States and adjacent coastal waters and land
areas out to at least 250 km.  In addition to the delivery of
real time data there are provisions for archive data. 
Retrospective lightning data is available to Government users
either directly from ARSI or, in the future, from a planned
Government archive center.

The lightning data contract called for acceptance testing and
data validation.  The purpose of this activity was to ensure that
the data meets the requirements for quality and the system can be
effectively monitored through the status messages, and to
demonstrate a reliability and availability consistent with the
system specifications.  ARSI successfully completed the final
phase of the network performance validation on February 9, 1993. 
The National Severe Storm Forecast Center (NSSFC) produced and
distributed the first operational AFOS lightning graphic on
March 31.  Thus lightning data, a new and important
meteorological element, is added to the NWS observational suite
in support of modernization.  

(W/OSD5:JBJ 301-713-1817)

Distribution:

NWS: ODs and RDs
OFCM: H.NEWHOUSE
DOT, BLM, NASA, Other Government Agencies
OMNET  J.PAREIN, L.MILLER.UCAR, J.CAMPBELL.NOAA, K.HADEEN