CTZ001-013-MAZ001-025-NYZ032-033-038>043-047>054-058>061-
063>066-082>084-VTZ013>015-291200-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
800 AM EDT WED OCT 28 2009

...WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK CONTINUES...

OCTOBER 25 TO OCTOBER 31 IS WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK IN NEW 
YORK AND NEW ENGLAND. 

THIS MESSAGE WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH SOME INFORMATION ON ONE
OF THE MOST HAZARDOUS WINTER WEATHER EVENTS YOU MAY 
EXPERIENCE...THE ICE STORM.

HEAVY ACCUMULATIONS OF ICE CAN BRING DOWN TREES AND 
POWERLINES...AS WELL AS TOPPLE UTILITY POLES AND
COMMUNICATION TOWERS. ICE CAN DISRUPT COMMUNICATIONS 
AND POWER FOR DAYS WHILE UTILITY COMPANIES REPAIR EXTENSIVE 
DAMAGE. EVEN SMALL ACCUMULATIONS OF ICE CAN BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS 
TO MOTORISTS AND PEDESTRIANS. BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES ARE 
PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS BECAUSE THEY FREEZE BEFORE OTHER SURFACES.

FREEZING RAIN IS THE RESULT OF PRECIPITATION WHICH INITIALLY 
FALLS AS SNOW...THEN ENCOUNTERS A LAYER OF WARM AIR WHICH MELTS 
THE SNOW CHANGING IT TO RAIN. THE RAIN THEN FREEZES AS IT 
ENCOUNTERS BELOW FREEZING AIR AT OR NEAR THE SURFACE CREATING A 
FILM OF ICE. 

MOST OF THE UNITED STATES RECEIVES LESS THAN 10 HOURS OF FREEZING 
RAIN ANNUALLY WITH THE HIGHEST FREQUENCY IN THE SAINT LAWRENCE 
RIVER VALLEY WHERE OVER 40 HOURS OF FREEZING RAIN ARE OBSERVED 
ANNUALLY. MOST OF EASTERN NEW YORK AND WESTERN NEW ENGLAND RECEIVE 
20 TO 30 HOURS OF FREEZING RAIN ANNUALLY. 

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISSUES WINTER STORM WARNINGS FOR ICE 
ACCUMULATIONS OF HALF AN INCH OR MORE AND WINTER WEATHER 
ADVISORIES FOR ANY ICE ACCRETION WHICH ALSO INCLUDES FREEZING 
DRIZZLE.

A CATASTROPHIC ICE STORM STRUCK EASTERN NEW YORK AND MUCH OF NEW 
ENGLAND DECEMBER 11 AND 12 2008. THE STORM PARALYZED THE REGION 
FOR DAYS WITH UP TO 1.8 MILLION PEOPLE WITHOUT POWER ACROSS THE 
NORTHEAST. ICE ACCUMULATIONS ON TREES AND POWER LINES REACHED TO 
AN INCH.

THE WORST ICE STORM ON RECORD OCCURRED FROM JANUARY 5 THROUGH 9 IN 
1998. FREEZING RAIN FELL FOR MUCH OF THIS PERIOD ACROSS NORTHERN 
NEW YORK...NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND AND THE PROVINCES OF ONTARIO AND 
QUEBEC IN CANADA. ICE THICKNESS REACHED 3 TO 5 INCHES WITH TOTAL 
DAMAGE EXCEEDING 4.5 BILLION DOLLARS. IN THE UNITED 
STATES...FEDERAL DISASTER AREAS WERE DECLARED IN 37 
COUNTIES...WHERE 16 PEOPLE DIED AND 18 MILLION ACRES OF 
FOREST WAS DAMAGED BY ICE.  

IF YOU NEED TIMELY INFORMATION...YOU CAN GET IT ON NOAA WEATHER 
RADIO ALL HAZARDS. WE ARE BROADCASTING TWENTY FOUR HOURS A DAY 
FROM STATIONS IN ALBANY...NEW YORK...AT 162.55 
MHZ...HIGHLAND...NEW YORK...AT 162.475 MHZ...MIDDLEVILLE...NEW 
YORK AT 162.400 MHZ...JOHNSBURG...NEW YORK...AT 162.450 
MHZ...MARLBORO...VERMONT...AT 162.400 MHZ...NORTH 
ADAMS...MASSACHUSETTS...AT 162.525 MHZ...EGREMONT... 
MASSACHUSETTS...AT 162.450 MHZ...AND FROM CORNWALL... 
CONNECTICTUT...AT...162.500 MHZ.

WEATHER RADIO MONITORS ARE INEXPENSIVE AND GUARANTEE YOU THE 
LATEST WEATHER WHENEVER YOU HAVE THE NEED. OUR BROADCASTS WILL 
HELP YOU PLAN FOR OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES...GET TRAVEL 
INFORMATION...MAKE BUSINESS DECISIONS...OR DECIDE ON THE PROPER 
CLOTHING TO WEAR. MOST IMPORTANTLY...YOU WILL BE READY WHEN A 
WINTER STORM STRIKES. 

WE ISSUE FREQUENT UPDATES DURING ACTIVE WINTER WEATHER...THAT 
SERVE TO GIVE YOU THE MOST UP TO THE MINUTE...AND 
DETAILED...WEATHER INFORMATION AVAILABLE. IN ADDITION...WE ISSUE 
STATEMENTS THAT FOLLOW UP ON THE ISSUANCE OF WATCHES... 
WARNINGS...OR ADVISORIES.

FOR THOSE OF YOU WITH INTERNET ACCESS...ALL OF OUR WEATHER AND 
HYDROLOGIC INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ONLINE. SIMPLY GO TO 
WWW.WEATHER.GOV AND THEN CLICK ON EASTERN NEW YORK OR WESTERN NEW 
ENGLAND. THIS WILL TAKE YOU TO THE MAIN WEBPAGE OF THE NATIONAL 
WEATHER SERVICE IN ALBANY NEW YORK.  

$$

OKEEFE