(L - R) Dr, Felipe Adrian Vazquez, director of SMN; Bill Proenza, regional director NWS Southern Region; and, Dr. Michel Rosengaus, director of Meteorological Services for SMN at a briefing in the Regional Operations Center( Photo: SRH Hq.)
(April 15, 2010) - National Weather Service Southern Region headquarters staff in Fort Worth, Texas hosted a two-day visit this week by Dr. Felipe Adrian Vazquez, director of the Servicio Meteorológico Nacional (SMN) of Mexico and Dr. Michel Rosengaus, director of Meteorological Services for SMN.
Day one included a welcome and overview of Southern Region operations and services by Regional Director Bill Proenza. Southern Region headquarters staff followed with presentations detailing the operations and responsibilities of the various divisions and the Regional Operations Center.
The visitors also conferred with Richard Vogt and Rex Reed, who traveled to Fort Worth from the National Weather Service Radar Operations Center in Norman, Okla. Vazquez and Rosengaus ended the day with a tour of the Fort Worth Weather Forecast Office and West Gulf River Forecast Center.
Day two included a full workshop with representatives of Southwest Airlines in Dallas. The visitors were particularly interested in discussing the Aircraft Meteorological Data Relay (AMDAR) program. AMDAR is a program initiated by the World Meteorological Organization. It is designed to collect meteorological data worldwide by using commercial aircraft.
The data collected supports weather forecasting, climate predictions and disaster early warning systems. The AMDAR program uses more than 3,000 international aircraft to stream weather and climate information to users on the ground via VHF communication or satellite link.
After concluding their visit to Fort Worth, Vazquez and Rosengaus traveled to Silver Spring, Md. to meet with NOAA National Weather Service Director Jack Hayes and key national headquarters staff.
(L - R) Dr. Michel Rosengaus, director of Meteorological Services for SMN; Bill Bunting, meteorologist-in-charge of WFO Fort Worth; and, ) Dr, Felipe Adrian Vazquez, director of SMN on tour of Fort Worth Weather Forecast Office (Photo: WFO Fort Worth)
