Partnerships help NPS meteorologists reach larger audience with important weather updates

An example of the fire danger slide that was presented daily.

NPS, Heidi Strader.

In May 2022, the National Weather Service (NWS) asked the Predictive Services team at the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center (AICC) to provide daily fire weather and fire danger inputs to the NWS for use in their highly popular “Alaska Weather Show.” This daily TV, radio and YouTube show is regarded as the go-to for preparedness against weather events and natural disasters by many around the state. On the air since 1976, the show has a large viewing audience that includes small aircraft pilots flying in remote areas, fishing and hunting guides, residents of isolated bush communities, outdoor enthusiasts, and weather fanatics across Alaska.

Predictive Services worked with their GIS specialist at the BLM Alaska Fire Service to create and automatically publish fire danger maps to NWS each day. To provide context to these maps, the Fire Weather Program management team provided a bulleted slide with the hot fire topics that covered the next several days. Bullets included issues such as current or forecasted fire activity, lightning or wind events that would increase ignitions or fire spread rates, smoke intrusions around the state, and how many resources were being used to manage fires. With the help of the maps and contextual slides, viewers received a more accurate portrayal of fire potential for the following day or days. The most important and critical information was highlighted, and statewide maps alerted viewers to the fire danger in their area with a quick glance.

An example of the bulleted slide that accompanied daily fire danger maps.

NPS, Heidi Strader

By having this information come straight from Predictive Services and into this widely circulated program, the most accurate and timely portrayal of fire danger was available to a larger public audience than ever before. Information provided in map and text form was also easier to understand for this wider public audience.

The feedback from the NWS was very positive. “The slides you sent and the gridded data we were able to download from you to make graphics certainly saved us time and helped to ensure we were sending the same message to viewers that your team was sharing,” Carrie Haisley, TV Desk Assistant and Chief, Emergency Services Branch and Multimedia said. “These have been wonderful. What a great addition to the TV show!” Joel Curtis, TV Desk Assistant and Emergency Response Specialist added. Eric Holloway, TV Desk Assistant and Emergency Response Specialist also spoke very positively of the use of the fire maps. “These real simple summaries of the overall fire conditions are exactly what we need.” 

Predictive Services is a national program with staff at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise and at each of the ten Geographic Area Coordination Centers across the country, where they provide information to support and inform wildland fire managers in decision making. At each Geographic Area, Predictive Services consists of one or two meteorologists, fire analysts, and several intelligence personnel. Positions are funded through an interagency effort: the single meteorologist position in the Alaska office is funded by the National Park Service. This is currently held as a job-share position to ensure seamless support throughout the fire season.