NHC during slow times?

[TexasSam]

What do the people at the NHC do during slow times? Just hang out and play video games, come in for a few Min. and type out the advisories, then go home? Or do they sit there and look at a bunch of blank screens?

[f5]

What do the people at the NHC do during slow times? Just hang out and play video games, come in for a few Min. and type out the advisories, then go home? Or do they sit there and look at a bunch of blank screens?

after 2005 i'm sure they were taking nice sweet naps

[george_r_1961]

Im sure theres a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes at NHC.

[kevin]

I hear they usually play Halo and Beven snipes everyone.

[Grease Monkey]

Jim Cantore probably goes sky diving to relax.

[hurricanetrack]

They read and subsequently laugh at the posts on this message board.



Come on.....just a joke.

[HURAKAN]

Sleep soundly.

[CajunMama]

Play connect the dots on the tracking map?

[wxmann_91]

I'm sure they are working on their case studies (like the unpublished one about NGOM canes mentioned in the Katrina report), revising their website, preparing for future storms and helping raise public awareness, give tours, write TWD's and TWO's (which even during the quietest times probably still take a good half hour of examining models and sats), writing TC Reports and working on/refining monthly tropical wx summaries if applicable.

[all_we_know_is_FALLING]

Jim Cantore probably goes sky diving to relax.

Maybe. But Jim is on TWC outside of Hurricane Season too.

[Cyclenall]

I never thought about this before. I wonder if they play video games and have everyone crowd around this one computer/TV and watch forecasters compete! I would laugh so hard if that was true. It would be even more funny if a depression was strengthening rapidly while they are doing that.

I'm sure they do extra work that they do during the winter months as well.

[senorpepr]

I'm sure they are working on their case studies (like the unpublished one about NGOM canes mentioned in the Katrina report), revising their website, preparing for future storms and helping raise public awareness, give tours, write TWD's and TWO's (which even during the quietest times probably still take a good half hour of examining models and sats), writing TC Reports and working on/refining monthly tropical wx summaries if applicable.

You are probably very close...

[Frank2]

I stopped by there recently, and, it was pretty quiet - I asked about Max Mayfield, but, my old supervisor told me that he was on travel. That, or he was hiding in his office until I left - kidding - Max is a good egg...

As mentioned in the earlier post, there is much work to be caught up on during the slow times, and, some also take advantage of this period to take a few days of leave here and there.

Since the Miami NWS Office is co-located with the NHC, that side of the building is a 24-hour operation, so, that work is based on what is on the work schedule for each shift, though weekdays are the busiest, since the El Tech and Admin staff are also present during those times.

Just a note - even though I worked there for quite a few years (at the old building in Coral Gables), I still had to be screened before being allow access - fortunately, the few still remaining that I worked for or with, happen to be there on the weekday shift of my visit, however, had I come during a time when none of my former co-workers were present, I'd likely be denied entry (since no one could vouch for me as a past employee in good standing), so, as in surprise visits to TWC, a word to the wise...

Frank

[btangy]

A lot of them are also researchers, and you occasionally see papers in journals and presentations at conferences from the same names you see at the bottom of the discussions. They are a hard working group of people year round whether the season is busy or not.

[feederband]

They usally watch the movie The Perfect Storm over and over...

[george_r_1961]

I would think since they are co located with NWS Miami they give them a hand from time to time during the off season.

[Frank2]

No, because the hurricane forecaster duties are separate from the NWS forecaster duties (per the agency they work for), however, the support positions (el techs, met techs, programmers, satellite meteorologists, and admin staff), do support both the NWS and NHC forecasters, and, the NHC forecasters will converse with the NWS forecasters if a system enters, or is forecast to enter, the NWS forecaster's area of responsibility, and is why sometimes you'll see a NHC forecaster reference in the NWS Miami Area Forecast Discussion text.

Frank

[vacanechaser]

i do know that jack beven goes to tornado alley just before the season starts to go storm chasing on the plains... pretty cool huh??


Jesse V. Bass III
http://www.vastormphoto.com
Hurricane Intercept Research Team

[vbhoutex]

Frank can vouch for this I am sure also. During season, there are no vacations/time off allowed. Of course, if someone is truly too sick to work then they can't, but past that and family emergencies. There is no leeway. He was called in at all hours of the day and night and actually had to stay over in Miami quite often as opposed to going home(which was a long commute) I go this from a former staffer there who is now in private practice.

They are working on numerous different things when they are not having to concentrate on an active system(s). There are model runs, model runs to be analyzed, satellite images to be analyzed, etc. ad infinitum. Vacations are allowed in the off months during the winter.

[TexasSam]

I would think that after last year they all were about burned out. That had to be a tough year. I know they all have other jobs when they aren't doing tropical weather. Great answers from all of you. I mostly ment this as a fun post, and a question. So I got back 100% of what I expecter.
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