The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Juneau weather office sent forecasters to Skagway to train local volunteers this week. These citizen scientists are certified National Weather Service weather spotters, who keep their communities safer by reporting hazardous weather.
Alaska is about two thirds the size of the lower forty-eight, but it has only three of the nation’s 122 weather offices. When severe weather hits remote communities, the Juneau office wants to have warning out to residents in time to keep them safe. So they’re recruiting local help.
“I’m just kind of a weather geek,” laughed Jennifer Heffelfinger.
Tonight she is their sole pupil. But one weather spotter per community is all they need. Heffelfinger says she’s looking for a winter hobby. And this one will also fill a gap in the community’s public safety web.
She will be the only year round weather spotter in Skagway. The Haines area has nine active weather spotters.
Weather spotters are the boots on the ground that help forecasters like Jake Byrd better predict what’s actually happening out here.
“It’s just someone in the community who reports back to us at the National Weather Service,” he explained.
He says automated observing systems can only go so far in predicting the weather for remote southeast communities.
Not only does the Juneau office have to monitor an area about the size of Florida that’s known for micro climates, but mountains get in the way of their radar. It’s called “beam blocking,” and it means there’s only an indirect signal for the Upper Lynn Canal.
Juneau forecaster Caleb Cravens says weather spotters are crucial even where the radar is good. He was on duty across the Gastineau Channel when a spotter reported flooding on Douglas Island.
“So we put out an advisory. And then not an hour after we put out the advisory, we we got reports and mudslides that occurred and major flooding,” said Cravens.
“Without that volunteer, we wouldn’t have known.”
So after she finishes training in Skagway, Heffelfinger’s job is to call the office when the weather kicks up. That means snow, heavy winds, flooding, or less likely events like hail and thunderstorms.
The information she collects will help forecasters like Byrd update their weather models and get useful information.
“For a long time the Weather Service has been saying, ‘Here’s a winter storm warning for six to eight inches of snow,” he said.
“But maybe six to eight inches of snow is not that impactful in your community. Or maybe after two inches it completely shuts it down,” he said.
For example, Skagway often has high winds, so the weather office isn’t going to issue warnings unless there’s an impact to the community.
It’s impossible to control the weather, but now that Hefflefinger is part of the network, Skagway residents and emergency services will have more control over their response. That said, Byrd thinks reports from the Upper Lynn Canal will mostly go towards honing their forecasts.
“This is Southeast Alaska. Severe weather is extremely rare,” said Byrd.
After training Heffelfinger leaves the public safety building with a national weather spotter identification number to add to her reports. And after sitting through the course, this reporter got one, too.
