MEMORANDUM FOR: Anchorage AMS Members and Affiliates

FROM:   Kristine Nelson, Anchorage Chapter.

SUBJECT: Minutes, Anchorage AMS Chapter Meeting,
                    May, 16, 2008  

Call Meeting to Order: The meeting was called to order by President Kristine Nelson, at 11:28  a.m.
                                                                               

• Introductions conducted.

Treasurer’s Report: 

AMS ANC Chapter last report shows funds are currently at                                   $1698.50.

 Old/New Business:   
Elections were held for offices in the Fall/Winter of 2008-2009.

• President…………..Jim Nelson
• Vice-President…….Lisa Reed
• Secretary…………..Jackie Purcell
• Treasurer…………..Rene Wise         

Membership Drive-Ideas for bringing in new members discussed.

• Forecast contest-exclusive to club members?

• Raffle tickets out to new members for prizes drawn at meetings.

• Additional ideas requested.

Final Forecast Contest Winners announced the happy guessers picked
out prizes.

Elliot Barske:

• First measureable Snowfall and amount:

   Forecasted amount and date was 1.7" on 10/22/07.  The first snowfall was 0.7" on 10/23/07

Dave Vonderheid:

• Total snowfall:  Forecasted snowfall was 116.3”.  Actual was 109.1".  
• Lowest Pressure: Forecasted pressure was 976.6mb on 11/29. 

                                  Actual was 974.9 on 11/10. 

• Highest Pressure: Forecasted pressure was 1036.9mb on 01/04

                                         Actual was 1036.2 on 11/29.

Scott Elnes and Shaun Baines:

• Low Temp:  Forecasted was -11 on 1/16. 

                           Actual was -12 on 2/4&5.

Scholarships

• Local:  Elsa Dieckgraff, Student Hire at the ANC WFO and currently attending the Dimond H.S., is the winner of the Anchorage AMS local Scholarship and recipient of $450.

 Elsa was awarded Gifted Mentorships at the Anchorage WFO for three of her H.S. years and was a Summer Hire at the  ANC WFO the summer of 2006 and 2007.  She also speaks German and Japanese and is interested potentially coming back to Alaska to help foster stronger relationships across cultural and national boundaries within the Aviation Volcano forecast and warning program.  Elsa also is an oboist with the Dimond H.S. band and pit orchestra and has performed with the Anchorage Youth Symphony.  Congratulations Elsa!   

• National: We have an applicant! 

Andrew Friesen from Washington state submitted an application to us for the Industry/Minority Scholarship.  He is very qualified….fingers crossed he is awarded the scholarship. 

Chapter Member of the Year
The Chapter Member of the year is Jim Peronto.  Jim actively participated in the Anchorage Chapter procuring donations from local restaurants, providing contacts for speakers, and producing our new Chapter Poster that won 2nd place at the 2008 AMS Meeting in New Orleans.  We are still working on a gift for Jim. 

National AMS Meetings
June 26-29, 2008 AMS 26th Conference on Broadcast Meteorology
in Denver, Colorado.

 Jan. 11-15, 2009  AMS 89th Annual Meeting in Phoenix, AZ.
 http://ametsoc.org/MEET/annual/index.html

Donations:
 We can always use help from members in obtaining prize donations.

Guest Speaker: 
  Nancy Schomer– Federal Aviation Administration
                                Weather Cam Program Office
 
Nancy Schommer has been working as an FAA program manager for 15 years and is in charge of the vast network of “weathercams” across Alaska.  These cameras are placed in strategic locations in order to show current sky conditions for aviation interests, like pilots, the marine industry, National Weather Service officials and recreationists.

Schommer says the weathercams came about after the National Transportation Safety Board noted that the lack of weather sensors contributed to a high number of aviation accidents.  They recommended that cameras be installed to aid not only the forecaster
looking at the weather, but the for the pilots flying in it.

As a result of some of the installation of these cameras, aircraft accidents within 25 miles of one of these cameras have been reduced.  These eyes in the sky can provide
a real-time look at en-route or destination sky conditions. They have been well-received since the images they provide are free, convenient and current.
But this information is supplementary, in order to enhance situational awareness. Pilots must use other sources of weather information in addition to the FAA Weathercam network.

The choosing of a location can include airports, but several passes are also included.  There are up to 4 cameras at any given site, each trained on a different view. The data they provide is relayed by a satellite internet connection.  Access to these locations is often difficult.  Solar panels or wind generators are used to power the cameras.

In 2005, there were 63 weathercams, now there are 82. This year, the FAA plans to raise the total to 95, and in an ambitious move, 221 sites are planned by 2014.
That’s 102 million dollars investment over the next 26 years.

And this program is not available in the Lower 48 States, it is unique to Alaska.
In the coming years, Schommer says the FAA will be reaching out to other parties who may have webcam images that could be useful to their program, so they are looking into 3rd party-hosting of these additional sources of data.

     
   Lake Clark Pass 4pm 8-23-06                        Lake Clark Pass clear day image\

                        
                         
Sectional map indicating the direction the
Lake Clark camera image shown above is facing.

The Meeting was adjourned at 12:25 pm.                            
Adjournment.