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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
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