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Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs |
Where can I find past weather conditions for (name of town) on (date in question) ?
This is by far the most common e:mail question we receive.
First, Check our Climatology Page, which is full of fantastic information for our two first-order climatological stations (Harrisburg and Williamsport), and our Co-Operative Observing sites (45 across Central PA). Check those pages, especially the NOWData Tab.
Second, (if you are looking for information about Pennsylvania) Check with the PA State Climatologist, Mr. Paul Knight. Paul and his staff can usually find answers to most PA-specific questions.
web: http://climate.psu.edu/
phone: (814)865-8732 fax:(814)865-3663
If you cannot find the answer there, the next step is to contact the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) in Asheville, NC. NCDC is the storehouse for ALL weather information recorded across the US and it's territories since the 1800's. They quality control the data and publish it in various forms (a monthly summary is the most common form). They (NCDC) also certify the data for use in court, as well - the preliminary information available from our website is NOT permissable in court. NCDC's phone #: (828)271-4800.
How do I become a Skywarn Spotter?
We ask our SkyWarn Spotters to receive weather spotter training and safety information during informational sessions, normally conducted by the local NWS Warning Coordination Meteorologist (WCM), and Forecasters. These training sessions are usually conducted in the Spring and Summer months, in anticipation of the climatological Severe Weather Season.
Your forecasts/products seem old. Why???
We utilize links to various other NWS sources to display our current text forecasts and summaries. Occasionally, these various sources are taken down (due to circumstances beyond our control) for maintenance. During these times, the data will appear old. To ensure that you are viewing the latest version of the file ON THE SERVER, press "RELOAD/REFRESH WHILE HOLDING DOWN THE SHIFT KEY!!!" to FORCE your browser to grab the file from the SERVER, and NOT YOUR LOCAL DISK CACHE. The information on our website is for casual use and informational purposes. Please read the NWS Internet Disclaimer.
How do I get a JOB with the National Weather Service???
We offer local college students the opportunity to volunteer their time during the year. Due to staffing constraints we limit the number of volunteers and the amount of hours they work. We are an operational office and must maintain a work environment, often with limited staffing. Students (even well-meaning volunteers), do create additional workloads.
We usually hire a student once each year into the Student Intern Program. That program requires the student to be going into their senior year of a BS degree (usually in Meteorology). There is usually quite a bit of competition for the Student Intern position at NWS State College.
Other Federal Agencies offer employment opportunities to students as well, see StudentJobs.gov for more information.
Most forecast and management positions (anything higher than an entry-level internship) require both a Bachelor's Degree in Meteorology and experience equal to the next lower grade of Federal Service. There are also electronics and computer analyst positions available in the Weather Service, which have varying requirements. I suggest checking the web sites below for further/more detailed information.
NOAA's web site has nice web page full of links concerning opportunities/employment.
Here are some other government job web sites. By reading the description of the position and how to apply sections, you may get a better idea of the qualifications and expectations of different positions.
http://www.weather.gov/careers.php (NWS Careers Page)
http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/a9noaa.htm (NOAA/NWS Job Listings)
http://www.usajobs.opm.gov (All Federal Government Jobs)
When are Winter Weather Advisories and Warnings Issued?
We have a detailed webpage that spells out the criteria that we expect to be met when we issue a Winter Storm Warning or Advisory.
What are the more common Geographic Regons you refer to in your discussions and forecast products?
We have a map labelled with the most common geographic regions that we refer to in our discussions.
What is the National Digital Forecast Database (NDFD)?
Just in case you were wondering, check out this webpage on the NDFD.
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