The Johnson Space Center lightning watch and warning program

The National Weather Service Spaceflight Meteorology Group (SMG) provides watch and warning support for NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC). This local support includes the issuance of lightning watches and warnings for the Center. A lightning watch (officially called a Lightning Advisory) is intended to provide select customers with 30 minutes advance notice of lightning occurrence within 6 miles of the Center. This allows these customers to curtail outdoor activities prior to the development of a hazard. A lightning warning (called a Lightning Alert) provides the entire JSC community notice that lightning is occurring or imminent within 6 miles of the Center. These lightning watch and warning products are used for both daily operations and public events such as the JSC Open House.

The development of a JSC lightning protection policy has been ongoing since 2000. The process was initially impeded by the lack of a perceived threat of lightning risk and concerns about defining appropriate responses to the threat. While the policy was being developed, weather impacts to two heavily attended public events helped to eliminate the barriers to implementing the policy. Now, the lightning products receive a wide distribution via phone notifications, e-mail, the JSC intranet, and the JSC closed-circuit TV system during routine operations. In addition, event organizers are required to develop a weather plan for all on-site special events. In order to educate our customers, the new lightning policy and products were advertised to the JSC community through the Center newsletter and via management channels. Also, all civil servant and contractor employees are required to complete a yearly Hazard Communication course that now includes a section on lightning safety.

The lightning products present several challenges for SMG forecasters. These challenges include anticipating convective development of air mass thunderstorms, assessing the accuracy and validity of lightning data, and determining an appropriate time to end the Lightning Advisory (watch).

This paper will describe the development of the JSC lightning watch and warning policy, and procedures for disseminating the information. Some particularly interesting lightning events and forecaster challenges will be discussed. Lightning advisory verification statistics for calendar year 2005 will also be presented.