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UK Ag Weather Center Hosts
Weather Media Seminar
By
Aimee Nielson
LEXINGTON, Ky., (Nov. 7, 2007) – Each spring and fall, the
National Weather Service hosts media seminars for their weather
partners at area television stations to discuss any issues or
changes related to the weather service’s products and to ensure
everyone has the most current information. For the first time,
the University of Kentucky’s Agricultural Weather Center hosted
the fall seminar on the Lexington campus.
Television meteorologists from every major Lexington network
station attended the seminar and UK Agricultural Meteorologist
Tom Priddy said it provided a great opportunity for him to tell
participants about information the weather center offers. Priddy
explained a new and unique element of the weather center – the
Point Agricultural, Lawn and Garden Forecast/Outlook.
“You won’t find this on weather.com or Accuweather, but you will
find it at the
UK Ag Weather Center,” he said.
Basically you can enter a zip code, city and state or even
latitude/longitude locations anywhere in the United States and
receive a point-specific forecast from the National Weather
Center’s National Digital Forecast Database.”
Priddy said the ability to get forecasts based on latitude and
longitudinal locations makes the information more personal for
farmers and homeowners. It provides three and six-day forecasts
that include a plethora of information such as minimum and
maximum temperatures, dewpoints, rainfall, wind and cloud
information. It even provides information related to spraying
conditions and cold or heat stress conditions for livestock.
Another topic Priddy discussed with media representatives was
the new Kentucky Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow
Network. It is a unique, nonprofit, community-based,
high-density network of individual and family volunteers of all
ages and backgrounds, who take daily measurements of rain, hail
and snow in their backyards.
“Once the network is up and running, everyone is going to
benefit from the collected data,” Priddy said. “Precipitation
amounts are so variable from one area to another. All the
volunteer’s reports will go straight to a National Weather
Service database. It will provide the television meteorologists
an accurate resource for reliable precipitation information.”
Joe Sullivan, coordination meteorologist at the National Weather
Service office in Louisville said the network will benefit the
weather service, the public and the media.
“We are not in competition with the television stations,” he
said. “We are partners. I abide by the NWS mission, which is the
protection of lives and people and whatever way that occurs is
beneficial for everyone involved.”
Priddy said partnering with the weather service benefits the
lives of all Kentuckians.
“We’re using tools that play right into the NWS mission,” he
said. “We have applications with a potential to enhance
forecasts and provide very detailed and accurate information,
and we have to share that with anyone who might be able to use
it to keep people informed about weather in Kentucky and beyond.
“
To see the Point Agricultural, Lawn and Garden Forecast/Outlook,
visit the
UK Agricultural Weather Center.
For information on becoming a county coordinator or to volunteer
for the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network,
contact Priddy at 859-257-3000, ext. 245 or e-mail
Priddy@email.uky.edu. |
Contact: Tom Priddy, 859-257-3000, ext. 245
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The UK College
of Agriculture, through its land-grant mission, reaches across
the commonwealth with teaching, research and extension
to enhance the lives of Kentuckians. |
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Copyright © 2001-2006 University of Kentucky, College of Agriculture,
Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service |
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