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Post by snowwx on Dec 1, 2017 2:48:40 GMT -5
If your not going to fill vacancies...then get the observation program back where it belongs...
NWS Left $57 million on the Table in FY 17
November 20, 2017
(November 20, 2017) According to information provided to NWSEO in response to a Freedom of Information Act request, the National Weather Service failed to spend $57,144,743 of the amount it was appropriated for fiscal year 2017, despite the fact that there were well over 600 vacant positions by the end of the fiscal year. $25 million of this amount remains available for the NWS to spend in the current fiscal year (in addition to the sums appropriated under the current continuing resolution) and $32 million remains available for the NWS to spend until September 30, 2018. The amount of remaining funds appropriated by Congress for various “programs, projects and activities” varies from “PPA” to “PPA.” However, under Section 505 of the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Act, these amounts can be transferred by the agency from one program to another with 15 days notification to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. At the end of FY 17, $11 million remained in the account “Analyze, Forecast and Support,” and $7 million remained in the account “Observations,” which are the two PPAs from which most employees’ salaries are paid.
The NWS also has ended the previous four fiscal years with substantial unspent carry-over funds despite a growing vacancy rate: FY 2016 -$66.6 million; FY 2015 - $52.5 million; FY 2014 - $125.3 million; FY 2013 - $144.3 million.
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Post by skobie on Dec 1, 2017 8:01:51 GMT -5
WOW! Apparently there's inept leaders in the NWS too. Eventually, they'll stop appropriating them money that they don't spend, ie, "use it or lose it".
skobie
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 1, 2017 8:39:05 GMT -5
WOW! Apparently there's inept leaders in the NWS too. Eventually, they'll stop appropriating them money that they don't spend, ie, "use it or lose it". skobie Yaa Like That's Going To Happen... imlate |
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Post by hlsto2 on Dec 1, 2017 12:15:36 GMT -5
they need to take a lesson from the faa...spend all you get and request more...and get it!
controller falls asleep on shift. no problem...assign another controller to the shift...then they can take turns sleeping
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Post by alstein on Dec 1, 2017 14:01:10 GMT -5
the NWS is making forecasters work a lot of overtime right now too. IT's a mess over there.
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Post by skobie on Dec 1, 2017 14:37:15 GMT -5
I don't understand why positions aren't filled within a government when the money is there to support it. It makes absolutely no sense. I know there are plenty of ready and willing meteorologists out there. You can give a call to the colleges that offer a BS in Meteorology to find that out at any time.
skobie
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Post by alstein on Dec 1, 2017 17:11:00 GMT -5
Trump's hiring freeze earlier this year hurt a good deal.
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Post by northwx on Dec 5, 2017 13:42:18 GMT -5
Here's a hint on corporate mentality: the FAA mission is focused (not very well) on aviation safety - and they don't know how to control spending or allocate it very well; the NWS is under scrutiny for wasting a lot of money, so they're trying hard to make it look like they are good managers - thus the surplus, which their mgmt. will reap some of in bonuses. Much as I like the NWS corporate atmosphere - much less military-style top-down than the FAA - the NWS is totally dedicated to automation and satellite-based data acquisition. They would close us in a heartbeat and allocate our budget to their pet programs and equipment systems. Ask them what happened to all the A-paid observers... or the hydrometeorology technician positions (what we do)... I'm very tired of this battle just like the rest of us, but the NWS isn't the answer. BE VERY CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR.
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Post by skobie on Dec 6, 2017 8:02:34 GMT -5
That is most certainly true too, northwx. Just a different bunch of suits with a different mission, neither of which seem to include us!
skobie
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Post by snowwx on Dec 7, 2017 4:12:43 GMT -5
Given that the NWS is bent on automation and such...whereas the FAA is bent on screwing the CWO program for their pet projects and suck up to ATC scenerios...the lesser of the 2 evils is the NWS...The problem with the management of the NWS/NOAA is that over the years...the high management has put in ocean people (NOAA)...which have no clue about atmospheric weather, nor do they care...Then people wonder why the models are all $%# up and forecasts are a bust...it's because of bad data in bad data out...oh boy, automation and remote sensing work well...yea right...Over the years ive seen the degrading of the WB/NWS due to screwed up management and it continues today...but the FAA is worse...just my observations about the scenerio ...Now we hear the NWS wants to continue to cut upper air observations...really...?? just plain stupid...!
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Post by wxornot on Dec 7, 2017 7:28:18 GMT -5
Came across this in a recent forecast discussion I was reading, "Unfortunately 12z upper air
soundings are no longer available across the state of Alaska".
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Post by hlsto2 on Dec 7, 2017 14:11:47 GMT -5
NWS used to take 06 and 18Z pibals...that went away in the 70s.
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Post by northwx on Dec 7, 2017 19:28:25 GMT -5
My ASOS Tech (NWS) told me this AM that all the upper-air sites are being automated and the personnel reassigned. No more balloons, but goofied-up auto-data will be available in Alaska soon.
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Post by tornado on Dec 8, 2017 11:47:50 GMT -5
My ASOS Tech (NWS) told me this AM that all the upper-air sites are being automated and the personnel reassigned. No more balloons, but goofied-up auto-data will be available in Alaska soon. Which is how we wind up with TAFs that predict freezing rain for a 4-hour window only... PANC 080054Z 0801/0906 30005KT P6SM OVC070 TEMPO 0801/0805 -FZRA OVC050 FM080500 VRB04KT P6SM -RA SCT025 OVC035 FM080600 VRB04KT 6SM -RA SCT015 OVC030 FM080900 17007KT P6SM SCT030 BKN060 PANC 081211Z 0812/0918 VRB05KT 6SM -DZ BR SCT002 BKN050 TEMPO 0812/0816 3/4SM BR BKN002 FM082000 VRB06KT P6SM VCFG BKN009 FM090000 VRB05KT P6SM FEW010 BKN050 FM090700 VRB04KT 3SM BR BKN005 PANC 081505Z 0815/0918 VRB05KT P6SM -DZ VCFG FEW002 BKN070 FM082000 VRB05KT P6SM FEW010 BKN050 FM090700 VRB04KT 3SM BR BKN005 ...and then there is freezing rain later when it was not forecasted: METAR PANC 081653Z 34005KT 10SM -FZRA FEW008 OVC060 01/00 A2949 RMK AO2 SLP988 P0001 I1000 T00060000 METAR PANC 081553Z 30005KT 10SM -FZRA BKN055 OVC070 01/M01 A2948 RMK AO2 SLP984 FZRAB02 P0000 I1001 T00061006 SPECI PANC 081544Z 29005KT 10SM -FZRA BKN060 OVC075 00/M01 A2948 RMK AO2 FZRAB02 P0000 I1000 T00001006 SPECI PANC 081523Z 28004KT 10SM -FZRA SCT060 OVC080 00/M01 A2947 RMK AO2 UPB02E17FZRAB17 CIG 060 N P0000 I1000 T00001006 |
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