WFO Houston/Galveston Forecasters Lance Wood (seated) and Robert Vanhoven at Spaceflight Meteorology Group workstation as SMG Meteorologist Richard Lafosse looks on (Photo: by Robert Markowitz, NASA)

(April 14, 2005) -- The National Weather Service (NWS) Forecast Office in League City, Texas (Houston/Galveston) has been literally on the move this week. The entire office is moving into new quarters in the Galveston County Emergency Facility. But, NWS customers in the office's warning area haven't noticed any wrinkles in the forecast and warning operations - thanks to the NWS colleagues in the Spaceflight Meteorology Group (SMG) at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC).

Weather Forecast Office (WFO) forecasters began working alongside SMG meteorologists at their JSC facility, April 8. The backup schedule called for three shifts with two forecasters on duty 24 hours a day through April 14th.

The WFO will now be located on the second floor of the new emergency facility which is designed to withstand the most intense hurricanes. This allows uninterrupted service from the NWS, county and state emergency managers during any type of weather conditions.

The NWS Spaceflight Meteorology Group consists of nine meteorologists under the direction of Meteorologist-in-Charge Frank Brody. The group provides unique world-class weather support to the US Human Spaceflight effort by providing weather forecasts and briefings to NASA personnel; pre and post spaceflight weather analyses and documentation; advising the JSC community of adverse weather impacting the JSC complex; serving as meteorological consultants to the JSC community for current and future spaceflight endeavors; and, developing tools and techniques to enhance SMG's weather support and to improve the science of meteorology.

Brody said his staff was happy to make room for their NWS colleagues. WFO Warning Coordination Meteorologist Gene Hafele said it really made the move less stressful for the employees.