National Weather Service Raw Text Product

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NOUS41 KOKX 212022
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CTZ005-009-NJZ002-004-006-103>108-NYZ067>075-078>081-176>179-
222030-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
322 PM EST MON DEC 21 2015

...CENTRAL PARK CONSERVANCY TO PROVIDE OFFICIAL SNOW MEASUREMENTS
FOR NEW YORK CITY...

BEGINNING THIS WINTER...CENTRAL PARK CONSERVANCY WILL TAKE
OFFICIAL NEW YORK CITY SNOW MEASUREMENTS IN CENTRAL PARK FOR THE
NEW YORK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN UPTON. THESE IMPORTANT
SNOW OBSERVATIONS WILL ASSIST WEATHER FORECASTING AND CONTRIBUTE
TO THE ACCURACY OF THE OFFICIAL U.S. CLIMATE RECORD FOR NEW YORK
CITY. THE CONSERVANCY IS TAKING OVER THIS VOLUNTEER JOB FROM THE
CENTRAL PARK ZOO...WHICH HAS PROVIDED THE SERVICE FOR THE PAST 22
YEARS.

SNOWFALL REPORTS FOR CENTRAL PARK PROVIDE ONE OF THE LONGEST
CONTIGUOUS SETS OF WEATHER DATA IN THE COUNTRY...DATING BACK TO
1869. AS THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE'S NEW YORK CITY OFFICE IN
UPTON COVERS WEATHER OBSERVATIONS FOR ABOUT 10 PERCENT OF THE
U.S.POPULATION...THESE MEASUREMENTS ARE SECOND TO NONE IN
SIGNIFICANCE FOR CLIMATOLOGICAL STUDIES.

WEATHER SERVICE STAFF RECENTLY TRAINED 20 MEMBERS OF THE CONSERVANCY
IN HOW TO PROPERLY TAKE AND REPORT SNOWFALL MEASUREMENTS. THE
SNOWFALL OBSERVATIONS...TAKEN IN NEAR REAL TIME 24 HOURS PER
DAY...WILL ALLOW THE NWS AND NYC EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TO MAKE BETTER
DECISIONS TO PROTECT LIVES AND PROPERTY. BY MONITORING THESE
OBSERVATIONS...THE NWS MAY DECIDE TO ISSUE...CANCEL OR ALLOW AN
ADVISORY OR WARNING TO EXPIRE. THESE OBSERVATIONS ALSO WILL BE USED
TO VERIFY FORECAST ACCURACY. IF MORE SNOW IS ACCUMULATING THAN
FORECAST...NYC EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT MAY COORDINATE WITH CITY
AGENCIES TO ADJUST EVENT RESPONSE.

THE CONSERVANCY WILL BECOME THE OFFICIAL SOURCE OF THESE SNOWFALL
AND SNOW DEPTH OBSERVATIONS...CONTRIBUTING TO A LONG STANDING
CLIMATE RECORD. SNOWFALL OBSERVATIONS ARE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE ONLINE
IN PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENTS...LOCAL STORM REPORTS AND CLIMATE
DATA REPORTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT THE OBSERVATION PROGRAM LEADER AT
TIM.MORRIN@NOAA.GOV.

$$
GC