The National Weather Service in Morristown
www.srh.weather.gov/mrx

The National Weather Service (NWS) is a branch of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under the United States
Department of Commerce. The Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Morristown, Tennessee is part of the Southern Region of the NWS.

WFO Morristown is managed by the Meteorologist-in-Charge (MIC),  George Mathews, who is, in turn, responsible to the Director of the
Southern Region. Other management personnel at Nashville include a Warning Coordination Meteorologist (WCM), Howard Waldron,
Science and Operations Officer (SOO), David Hotz, Electronics System Analyst, Edward Maynard and an Observation Program Leader (OPL), Craig Carpenter.

Operational personnel include ten forecasters and four technicians, whose responsibilities include issuing of severe weather warnings and statements, public (zone) forecasts and discussions, aviation forecasts (called "terminal aerodrome forecasts"), short term forecasts (called "nowcasts"), fire weather forecasts and climatological information. Service Hydrologist Brian Boyd manages the river program for East Tennessee, Southwest North Carolina, and Southwest Virginia.

The staff at WFO Morristown is supported by  Information Technology Officer Eric Holweg, and two Electronics Technicians. One of the most important people in the office, yet also one of the least recognized, is the Administrative Assistant.

The forecasters are supported by four hydrometeorological  technicians (HMT's). Their responsibilities include maintaining NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts, issuing various meteorological and hydrological products,  and assisting the forecaster with general duties. The HMT's also manage the climate observation network for East Tennessee, Southwest North Carolina, and Southwest Virginia.

 

WFO Morristown has warning responsibility for thirty-three counties across East Tennessee, two counties in Southwest North Carolina and five counties in Southwest Virginia. The county warning area generally extends from the Cumberland Plateau in the west to the Appalachians in the east. The Morristown county warning area comprises 15,982 square miles with a population of 2,369,422 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2002).

The office will be receiving a Bronze Medal for performing critical backup services for the forecast office in Nashville during the deadly tornado outbreak in April 2006.  In September 2003, WFO Morristown was awarded the United States Department of Commerce Silver Medal Award for superior federal service "for providing timely and accurate severe weather warning services during the November 10, 2002 tornado outbreak in East Tennessee."

You can telephone the office at (423) 586-3771  24 hours a day should you have questions.

 

 

www.srh.weather.gov/mrx