Because weather terms are often unique, there is often no agreed upon translation. Additionally, just as there are dialects of English that vary by geography, so too are there different Spanish translations by geography. This is increasingly becoming a challenge for the Weather Enterprise. For example, the NWS Hazard Simplification effort, an evaluation of the watch, warning, advisory system, found that there are many translations of the word, “warning”[4] where as the phrase “outflow boundary” has no direct translation. There is also no standard across all television stations. During Impact Based Warnings focus groups, emergency managers raised concern about translating the terms “considerable” and “catastrophic,” terms used to denote a possible level of damage within tornado warnings. Not only are there direct translation issues, but there is also a lack of context for what the term means in the context of weather.[5]

Additionally, a number of recent efforts cite the need for more Spanish support. The Hurricane Matthew Service Assessment,[6] for example, cited efforts by the NWS Miami Forecast Office who translated key messages regarding hazards from Matthew. The Assessment pointed out that these welcomed efforts are inconsistently available across the enterprise.

In light of this need, this session is requesting abstracts that identify and address the following topics:  

• Past and present challenges in translating weather into Spanish
• Existing Spanish weather translation resources
• Ways to address these challenges in the future

[1] https://www.ametsoc.org/ams/index.cfm/about-ams/diversity-and-inclusion-at-ams/

[2] https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/newsroom/facts-for-features/2017/cb17-ff17.pdf

[3] Calculated using the following data: https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2013/demo/2009-2013-lang-tables.html

[4] Hazard Simplification Workshop/Focus Groups

[5] Impact Based Warnings Focus Group Report

[6] Hurricane Matthew Service Assessment

Because weather terms are often unique, there is often no agreed upon translation. Additionally, just as there are dialects of English that vary by geography, so too are there different Spanish translations by geography. This is increasingly becoming a challenge for the Weather Enterprise. For example, the NWS Hazard Simplification effort, an evaluation of the watch, warning, advisory system, found that there are many translations of the word, “warning”[4] whereas the phrase “outflow boundary” has no direct translation. There is also no standard across all television stations. During Impact Based Warnings focus groups, emergency managers raised concern about translating the terms “considerable” and “catastrophic,” terms used to denote a possible level of damage within tornado warnings. Not only are there direct translation issues, but there is also a lack of context for what the term means in the context of weather.[5]

Additionally, a number of recent efforts cite the need for more Spanish support. The Hurricane Matthew Service Assessment,[6] for example, cited efforts by the NWS Miami Forecast Office who translated key messages regarding hazards from Matthew. The Assessment pointed out that these welcomed efforts are inconsistently available across the enterprise.

In light of this need, this session is requesting abstracts that identify and address the following topics:  

• Past and present challenges in translating weather into Spanish
• Existing Spanish weather translation resources
• Ways to address these challenges in the future

[1] https://www.ametsoc.org/ams/index.cfm/about-ams/diversity-and-inclusion-at-ams/

[2] https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/newsroom/facts-for-features/2017/cb17-ff17.pdf

[3] Calculated using the following data: https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2013/demo/2009-2013-lang-tables.html

[4] Hazard Simplification Workshop/Focus Groups

[5] Impact Based Warnings Focus Group Report

[6] Hurricane Matthew Service Assessment

We propose that there be a session dedicated to presentations and/or discussions on advances in effective weather messaging.  We envision presentations from public and private sector meteorologists, social scientists and emergency management personnel, as there is much to learn from each other.  

Among the questions to be posed:  1) how do we improve our messaging, especially in a world with many distractions and a seemingly infinite number of methods to receive information; and 2) how do we get our point(s) across most effectively and efficiently?

A joint half day session or "town hall" with the conference on broadcast meteorology, weather analysis and forecasting, weather water and climate Enterprise, weather ready nation, societal applications and other conferences and symposia, will create the opportunity to jointly celebrate our shared histories of science and service, discuss common goals and think about a future where the perfect observation and forecast leads to a perfect decision be it minutes, hours, days or decades.

A brief look back at the beginning of the AMS and where understanding of weather and climate was in 1919 and how forecasts were communicated and a quick time travel to 2020 will set the stage for discussing where we are now, what our shared challenges are, scientific, economic and even political and what might be a common path or at least neighborly paths forward.  Speakers will include a number of invited leaders outside of our weather, climate hydrologic sciences to provide unifying thoughts and ideas.  Names such as James Lee Witt, Baruch Fishoff, Tom Wallsten, Senator Ed Markey, Andy Revkin, Ray Kurzweil more and some very young original thinkers who live near Boston and would be happy to give us off the wall ideas to think about.  A panel discussion with the attending conference chairs would give reaction to the day or 1/2 day and what the headlines will be in 10, 50 or 100 years.

Our AMS100 Annual Meeting has almost 40 different titled conferences, symposia and programs. It is important, as we celebrate 100, that we have some inclusive, unifying sessions or town halls and celebrate our commonality and may help guide  some coherence in our future as scientists, professionals, businesses, communicators, and more.