May 22, 1967
By DAN LAZENBERRY
Weather forecasting to most people is a complicated business, but to Arthur Brooks, chief meteorologist for the Environmental Science Service Administration (ESSA) of the U.S. Weather Bureau at El Paso International Airport, it represents many years of experience and training.
Brooks says that the Weather Bureau is able to quickly make accurate forecast by combining local weather data with information received over teletypes.
“We make composite charts by using information sent to us, much of which comes form Washington, D.C. and Kansas City. But the greatest contribution to forecasting today is made by satellites which transmit pictures of cloud formations.
“This is a considerable aid,” he said, “in view of the fact that ground weather stations only cover about one tenth of the globe.”
Brooks also pointed out that while variability in the weather makes for less overall accuracy, El Paso’s record has been 85 to 90 per cent.
“This is partly due to El Paso’s unique geographical location, and additional datum covering points north, east, and west is available to our bureau,” he said. “Some stations, because of their isolation, are unable to forecast with desired maximum accuracy.”
Modern electronic equipment has been installed to provide maximum efficiency and accuracy, Brooks said, and it has eliminated a lot of time consumption. “Most of our equipment is paneled to give fingertip control. And this makes us happy and gives us greater opportunities to offer better service to El Pasoans.”
CLOCKS ON MST
The Weather Bureau’s clocks are set on Mountain Standard Time locally because it is the closest to Greenwich Time. Weather balloons are put in flight normally within a few minutes of all other weather stations throughout the United States in order to calculate weather conditions at Greenwich Time.
The Weather Bureau almost dates back to when El Paso was first inhabited.
The first published forecast in an El Paso newspaper came Feb. 5, 1889, in “El Paso Daily Democrat.” Prior to publication of forecasts, they were hand delivered until the Bureau got its first telephone, March 3, 1903.
From the first office on San Francisco between Santa Fe and El Paso Streets, the Downtown office was moved from time to time.
In November, 1931, an airport office was opened and in December, 1942, the two offices were combined into one at the airport.
Weather watching was started as a precipitation and temperature recording operation, but it has now become a full-time business, which includes complicated studies of ground and aerial temperature, humidity, pressures and wind speed.
Today El Pasoans can obtain the latest weather outlook by picking up their telephone, reading the newspaper, listening to the radio or watching television.
In addition to providing weather information to the public, the Weather Bureau, presently located behind Champs Aviation Service, offers immediate service to pilots in making flight plans. Or, for that matter, anyone who want to check on the weather.
Monday’s forecast, by the way, calls for fair skies and warmer temperatures with a high of 86 to follow overnight lows of 45 in the Heights and 40 in the Valleys.
It all comes from John Faucett now.
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Posted by: haaaaaa | May 22, 2009 at 10:27 PM