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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I WKWMP operational activities divide into four major categories: A. Weather forecasting/operational planning/data collection B. Weather surveillance - radar, satellite, TV and visual C. Aircraft seeding operations and maintenance D. Administrative and public relations A. WEATHER FORECASTING/OPERATIONAL PLANNING The Lakin meteorologist prepares a daily weather forecast for the target area and surrounding region. Most weather data used by the WMWMP originates within the National Weather Service, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Climate Prediction Center, Global Hydrology and Climate Center, U.S. Navy or university sites and is processed by them before it is disseminated to the public via the Internet. The Internet provides the primary means for us to acquire weather information in addition to our own radar. The last few years has seen an explosion of Internet based high- quality weather data products, indispensable to meteorologists, which are available to the general public. A WKWMP home page is maintained and data pertinent to our pilots and to the general public are placed on it. Radar images from past and current operations also are available for public view. A computer system was put into operation in 1999, called "POPEYE." The system is set up as a multi-tasking system running several weather products singularly, or in loops that continually update in the background while awaiting further commands of whatever product desired by the meteorologist. This system is particularly useful during fast-moving, rapidly changing operational periods when we need to view radar pictures for other sites such as NWS radar for determining storm trends. With respect to the various media distribution of weather products: The Weather Channel (TWC) generally does an excellent job of providing 24-hour-a-day non-stop television weather updates when viewed on local TV cable. It presents frequent regional radar, forecast and satellite information. TWC is monitored by WKWMP personnel at home and in other places, but not at its field office since local cable lines do not run to the airport. An Internet-based service data provider called WeatherTap has become indispensable to our operations. WeatherTap provides a continuously expanding variety of important weather information such as current radar data from any of the National Weather Service radar sites, satellite and lightning data and, very importantly, VIL data. VIL is the acronym for Vertical Integrated Liquid; it pinpoints the regions within the radar echoes being displayed in which the largest size hail is likely to be falling, if any. For meteorologists and cloud seeders, VIL has been one of the most significant analysis tools to come onto the scene over the past 21 years. Also, significantly important to us is the capability of being able to view animated NEXRAD taken by the National Weather Service 15