Contact:  Randee Exler            FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   
          (301) 713-0622             2/23/95

FEDERAL REGISTER PUBLISHES LIST OF WEATHER SERVICE AREAS WHERE RESIDENTS EXPRESS CONCERN

The list of communities will be published in today's Federal Register.

The 32 areas were identified by public comments received by the NWS in response to a Federal Register solicitation notice published on Nov. 4, 1994. The notice requested comments identifying service areas where some communities believe that current weather services may be degraded as existing radars are decommissioned or as field offices are closed, consolidated, automated or related during the modernizaton of the National Weather Service. The NWS received more than 67,000 public comments during the 60-day period that closed on Jan. 3.

"The intent of the comment period was to allow citizens to comment on our modernization efforts. While the overwhelming response indicates that we provide a service valued by the American public, the exercise demonstrated that there are communities around the country whose residents have concerns about our plans," said National Weather Service Director Elbert W. Friday Jr.

All public comments were forwarded to the National Academy of Sciences' National Research Council in Washington, D.C. The NRC is considering the comments during its study on the adequacy of Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD) coverage and the effect of weather office consolidation proposed under the NWS modernization plan.

Weather radars are vital for detecting and monitoring the movement and development of severe storms. Under the modernizaton plan, state-of-the-art NEXRAD radars are replacing obsolete, difficult-to-service radars based on World War II technology. The modernization plan also includes a new structure of field offices for the National Weather Service.

An NRC report on the NWS modernization is due to Secretary of Commerce Ronald H. Brown in May 1995. Secretary Brown will then report to Congress on adjustments needed to the modernization plan to ensure no degradation of weather services in these areas. The Secretary's report to Congress is expected this fall.

Until this process is complete, no existing radars will be permanently shut down and no existing offices in the areas where residents expressed concern will be consolidated.

     Following is a list of the 32 areas:



     Asheville, N.C., Weather Service Office
     Astoria, Ore., Weather Service Office
     Athens, Ga., Weather Service Office
     Baton Rouge, La., Weather Service Office
     Cape Hatteras, N.C., Weather Service Office
     Caribou, Maine, Weather Service Office
     Charlotte, N.C., Weather Service Office
     Chattanooga, Tenn., Weather Service Office
     Colorado Springs, Colo., Weather Service Office
     Del Rio, Texas, Weather Service Office
     Elkins, W.Va., Weather Service Office
     Erie, Penn., Weather Service Office
     Evansville, Ind., Weather Service Office
     Fort Smith, Ark., Weather Service Office
     Fort Wayne, Ind., Weather Service Office
     Grand Island, Neb., Weather Service Office
     Greensboro, N.C., Weather Service Office
     Harrisburg, Penn., Weather Service Office
     Huntsville, Ala., Weather Service Office
     International Falls, Minn., Weather Service Office
     Kalispell, Mont., Weather Service Office
     Key West, Fla., Weather Service Office
     Lexington, Ky., Weather Service Office
     Montgomery, Ala., Weather Service Office
     Redding, Calif., Weather Service Office
     South Bend, Ind., Weather Service Office
     Toledo, Ohio, Weather Service Office
     Wichita Falls, Texas, Weather Service Office
     Williston, N.D., Weather Service Office
     Wilmington, Del., Weather Service Office
     Hondo, Texas, Weather Service Meteorological Observatory
     Central Oregon and Central Washington (no weather service    
        offices involved in this area)