[CVRC] Wildfire Effects on NWS Facilities

[Matthew Parker]

NOUS46 KSGX 300038
PNSSGX
CAZ043-050-058-301800-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO
430 PM PST WED OCT 29 2003

...STRAWBERRY PEAK NOAA WEATHER RADIO TRANSMITTER IS OFF THE AIR DUE 
TO WILDFIRES IN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY... 

...UPDATE ON UPPER AIR OBSERVATIONS AND SAN DIEGO DOPPLER RADAR...

AT ABOUT 2 PM PST (2200Z)...THE STRAWBERRY PEAK 
TRANSMITTER...LOCATED IN THE MOUNTAINS NORTH OF THE CITY OF SAN 
BERNARDINO...WENT OFF THE AIR DUE TO FIRES BURNING IN THE SAN 
BERNARDINO COUNTY MOUNTAINS. AT THIS TIME IT HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED 
IF THE TRANSMITTER HAS BEEN DESTROYED OR IF THE POWER LINES HAVE 
BEEN DESTROYED OR BOTH.

ESTIMATED TIME TO RESTORE THE TRANSMITTER TO OPERATIONAL STATUS CAN 
VARY GREATLY DEPENDING ON WHETHER OR NOT THE TRANSMITTER HAS IN FACT 
BEEN DESTROYED. AS SOON AS THE ELECTRONICS TECHNICIANS ARE ABLE TO 
ASSESS THE DAMAGE...AN ACCURATE PROJECTION OF WHEN SERVICE CAN BE 
RESTORED WILL BE MADE.

THIS MESSAGE WILL BE UPDATED AS SOON AS NEW INFORMATION BECOMES 
AVAILABLE.

ELECTRONICS TECHNICIANS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAVE 
COMPLETED A PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF FIRE DAMAGE TO BOTH THE SAN 
DIEGO UPPER AIR AND RADAR SITES.

ALTHOUGH THE UPPER AIR INFLATION BUILDING IS STILL STANDING IT WILL 
NEED TO BE CHECKED FURTHER FOR SAFETY. AN EQUIPMENT TRAILER 
CONTAINING COMPUTERS AND OTHER EQUIPMENT HAS BEEN DESTROYED. 

PLANS ARE CURRENTLY UNDERWAY TO BRING IN AN EMERGENCY REPLACEMENT 
UPPER AIR SYSTEM. IN THE MEANTIME REPLACEMENT UPPER AIR MEASUREMENTS 
WILL BE MADE AT EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE. THESE WILL BE AVAILABLE 
AFTER THE 00Z AND 12Z DATA TIMES UNDER AWIPS HEADERS LAXMANEDW (WMO 
HEADER USUS60 KEDW), AND LAXSGLEDW (WMO HEADER UKUS50 KEDW). 

AN ASSESSMENT OF THE WSR-88D DOPPLER RADAR HAS BEEN COMPLETED AS 
WELL. THE DOPPLER RADAR APPEARS TO HAVE ESCAPED ANY SIGNIFICANT 
DAMAGE AS A RESULT OF THE FIRE. HOWEVER THE DATA LINES AND 
ELECTRICAL LINES TO THE SITE HAVE BEEN DESTROYED. IT IS ESTIMATED 
THAT THESE LINES WILL BE RESTORED AND DATA WILL ONCE AGAIN BE 
AVAILABLE FROM THE RADAR IN SIX TO EIGHT DAYS.

WE APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE AS WE WORK TO GET THESE SYSTEMS BACK 
ONLINE.  

$$

JIM PURPURA
METEOROLOGIST-IN-CHARGE
NWS SAN DIEGO