Grayling Visitors Bureau

How does the Doppler radar work?  Why do we still launch weather balloons?  What kind of computer equipment do forecasters use?  Why is the weather office for Northern Michigan located near Waters?   What kind of education do you need to work as a meteorologist?   What do forecasters do when the weather is quiet?

These and many other questions will be answered when the National Weather Service in Gaylord hosts an open house on September 18^th, between 9 am and Noon.  This event is free and everyone is welcome, including children and families.   Office tours will take place every 15 minutes and will include a comprehensive look at the local weather office, including a history of the NWS in Northern Michigan, an overview of NWS offices across the country, observing equipment, and computer forecast modeling.   There will also be upper air balloon releases every 30 minutes, kid’s games and a series of display boards focusing on extreme weather events across Northern Michigan.

This is an event that no weather enthusiast will want to miss.  I encourage you to make the trip to the National Weather Service Office in Gaylord on September 18^th.  Additional information on the Open House and directions to the office can be found at the NWS Gaylord website:

www.weather.gov/gaylord

A few interesting facts about the NWS Gaylord office:
Groundbreaking for the office:   September 26, 1994
Office officially opened:   September, 1995
Elevation of the office:  1,349 feet
Staff:  22 people
Estimated population covered by the NWS Gaylord office:   750,000 people
Number of Weather balloon releases each year:   730+

Questions about this event should be directed to the National Weather Service in Gaylord at 989-731-3384.

National Weather Service Office

Gaylord, Michigan

http://www.weather.gov/gaylord

Contact:   Jim Keysor
(989) 732-9306 (media only)
(989) 731-3384 (public number)
james.keysor@noaa.gov