NationalNational WeatherWeather ServiceService Detroit/Pontiac, MI Typical Forecast NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS) provides weather, hydrologic, and climate Office Staff forecasts for the United States, its territories, adjacent waters, and ocean areas, for the 10 Meteorologist Forecasters protection of life and property and the 3 Administrative Meteorologists enhancement of the national economy. NWS 2 Hydrometeorological data and products form a national information Technicians database and infrastructure which can be used 3 Electronic Technicians by other government agencies, the private 2 Meteorologist Interns sector, the public, and the global community. 1 Hydrologist 1 Information Technology National Weather Service offices are staffed 24 Specialist hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. 1 Administrative Assistant With over 120 field offices, we provide forecasts and warning for the public, aviation, media, ma- rine, and fire weather communities via the Inter- net, All-Hazards NOAA Weather Radio, and the weather wire. We utilize the latest forecast tech- Required Course- nology with AWIPS (the Advanced Weather Inter- work for NWS active Processing System—see picture below), satellites, Doppler Radar, and numerical weather Meteorologists prediction to bring the most accurate and de- (listed in semester hours) pendable weather information to you. Hurricane Katrina, 2005 6 Weather Analysis and Prediction 6 Atmosphere Dynamics and Thermodynamics 3 Physical Meteorology 2 Remote Sensing/Instrumentation (left) A typical 6 Physics (with laboratory work) AWIPS work- 3 Ordinary Differential Equations station used to 9 A combination of the following; display radar, Physical Hydrology, Statistics, satellite, obser- Chemistry, Physical Oceanography, vations, and out- Physical Climatology, Radiative put from numeri- Transfer, Aeronomy, Advanced cal models. This Thermodynamics, Advanced Elec- data is used to tricity and Magnetism, light and op- monitor weather tics, and computer science. conditions and create forecasts . The National Weather Service is made up of over 4500 skilled employees, with 2600 of National Weather Service these working as Operational Meteorologists or Hydrologists. Typically the government Detroit/ Pontiac, MI hires new meteorologists at a rate of 50 to 100 per year. A typical work day for these meteorologists includes analyzing current conditions, digesting output from numerical model guidance, creating a forecast, and always monitoring the threat of hazardous 9200 White Lake Rd. White Lake, Michigan 48386 weather. Although the main focus in the NWS is on meteorology, it takes a dedicated http://www.weather.gov/dtx team of support personnel to put together an efficient work environment. With technol- ogy the forefront of all NWS offices, it takes a team of electronic technicians and informa- Phone: 248-625-3309 tion technology specialists to make the office run effectively. Electronic Technicians in- Fax: 248-625-4834 Email: [email protected] stall and maintain various operational electronics including Doppler Radar, observation [email protected] equipment, and computers. Information Technology Specialists implement, design, and maintain software and manage network security. What is a Meteorologist? Pro’s and Con’s Salary Outlook for Meteorologists Atmospheric scientists who forecast the for NWS Meteorologists Starting salary for Meteorologists and weather are known as operational • Rotational Shift Schedule Hydrologists within the NWS is meteorologists. They study information ∗ Midnight shifts approximately $28,000 per year. on air pressure, temperature, humidity, ∗ Weekends After yearly management reviews and and wind velocity, and apply physical and ∗ Holidays training the potential income for forecasters ranges from $60,000- mathematical relationships to make • Relocation $100,000 per year. In a highly short- and long- range weather forecasts. • Continuing Education National Weather Service Meteorologists competitive field, you may need to • Severe Weather Operations apply for openings in other NWS have the challenging and exclusive task • Constantly changing of issuing watches and warnings for the locations to become a forecaster. • Nationwide Opportunities Management level positions being at United States to protect the public from $80,000 per year and can exceed over severe weather, $120,000 per year. Electronic tornadoes, Technicians and Information flooding, Federal requirements for a Technology Specialists are positions hurricanes, strong meteorologist that also require specialized training winds, and with approximate salaries of $50,000- excessive heat Current high school students should $70,000 for Electronic Technicians and cold. concentrate on mathematics, science and physics with an increasing and $75,000-$100,000 for emphasis on computer science. In Information Technology Specialists. addition, a solid background in public For More Information speaking and written skills will make NOAA Career Opportunities Newaygo County, 2005 you a competitive applicant. http://www.careers.noaa.gov U.S. Department of Labor A bachelor’s degree in meteorology, http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos051.htm Additional Careers in atmospheric science, or other natural Official Federal Career Opportunities Meteorology (outside of the NWS) science major can typically be http://www.usajobs.gov completed in 4 or 5 years. These National Weather Service • Stocks and Commodities programs include a curriculum rich in http://www.nws.noaa.gov • Military calculus, physics, atmospheric National Oceanic Atmos. Admin. dynamics, thermodynamics, and • Media (television, newspapers) http://www.noaa.gov analysis and prediction of weather • Air Pollution American Meteorological Society systems. The exact course • Aviation http://www.ametsoc.org requirements for work within the National Weather Association • Research and Development National Weather Service are listed on http://www.nwas.org • Biometeorology the front of this handout and may not Nat. Center for Environ. Prediction • Professor be offered at all colleges. http://www.ncep.noaa.gov • Space Meteorology • Forensic Meteorology • Energy and Utility Companies The field of meteorology is becoming in- creasingly competitive as more students graduate with meteorology degrees and increases in computing technology are resulting in fewer positions. Job opportu- nities are growing the fastest within the private sector. This prompts students hoping to enter the field to develop a ver- satile set of skills to make them more attractive to employers. Some useful skills include knowledge of computer programming, geographic information systems (GIS), and the ability to write and speak clearly. Although most meteorol- ogy positions in the NWS and private sec- tor only require a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree is becoming increasingly Source: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/nws/careers.htm Universities and their programs are in a constant state of flux. Before you decide on a course of more common and desirable to employ- study, you should make sure that the program and coursework fulfill the requirements of your ers. career choice. Inclusion on this map does NOT guarantee that the program meets current NWS standards or the standards of other agencies. .