January 27, 1999 Special Presentation

by Amy Sebring
Technical Projects Coordinator, EIIP

and

Kenneth Bashford
EMWIN Project Coordinator
National Weather Service

Acquiring EMWIN Weather Data Via Internet



Contents:

Summary
Online Transcript (with hyperlinks)
Download Transcript (MS Word File)

About Amy Sebring
About Kenneth Bashford

NWS EMWIN Page
Xenocode Home Page

SUMMARY

EIIP Tech Arena Online Presentation

'Acquiring EMWIN Weather Data Via Internet'

Amy Sebring
Technical Projects Coordinator
EIIP

Kenneth Bashford
EMWIN Project Coordinator
National Weather Service

In an effort to inform emergency managers about the availability of the EMWIN data stream via Internet broadcast, beyond the more traditional satellite and VHF methods, Amy Sebring presented a how-to session, including downloading the required software, an illustrated tour of the various features, and information pertaining to user support.

She was assisted by the National Weather Service's EMWIN Program Coordinator, Kenneth Bashford, who was on hand to respond to audience questions. The National Weather Service conducts extensive outreach about this low-cost method of acquiring important data.

Unlike other weather products available over the Internet on demand, once set up, the WeatherNode software and ByteBlaster client provides a continuous stream pushed to the client in near real-time. It may also be customized down to the county level, and various alarms and accessories configured to be activitated by receipt of pre-defined files. Text products, graphics such as satellite imagery, and AFOS data are available for the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. Satellite imagery is available for the entire Western Hemisphere.

Plug-ins and other modules enable automatic printing, email forwarding, html upload, or trigger of other external devices. An FTP module permits catching up on one or three hours worth of data on demand, as when starting up after a shutdown. Other available modules are available to operate a ByteBlaster server to enable rebroadcast of selected or inserted products.

The online transcript, available above, includes hyperlinks to referenced URL's and sample screen shots, and provides a good introductory overview.

AMY SEBRING

Technical Projects Coordinator
EIIP

Amy Sebring has been instrumental in the development of the Emergency Information Infrastructure Partnership for the past two years, first as a volunteer and currently as its Technical Projects Coordinator. She has played a key role in the design and maintenance of the EIIP Virtual Forum website and application of "live chat" technology for the purpose of professional development and networking in the broader emergency management/disaster response community. She was previously employed as an Emergency Information Specialist for the City of Corpus Christi, Texas' Emergency Management Office and is active in local, regional and national professional associations.

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KEN BASHFORD

EMWIN Project Coordinator
National Weather Service

Ken Bashford is a Physical Scientist in the Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E) Group, and is the National Weather Service Emergency Managers Weather Information Network (EMWIN) Project Coordinator. Ken served 25-years on active duty in the U.S. Air Force's Air Weather Service, and served in various assignments as a weather observer, forecaster, staff meteorologist/climatologist, and weather station commander. In these assignments, Ken's work supported Department of Defense worldwide combat operations, aircrew training operations, and the development and testing of aerospace weapon systems. Ken retired from the Air Force in 1993, and joined the NWS Office of Systems Operations, Field Systems Branch. Ken has a Bachelor of Science degree in meteorology from Penn State University, and completed 2 years of graduate study in meteorology at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA.

Ken Bashford
NOAA, National Weather Service
1325 East West Highway
W/OSO13, Room 17416, SSMC2
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910

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