October 4, 2000

Weather School 2000 seminars to help Florida farmers
utilize weather information

Weather impacts virtually every agricultural decision made in the management of crops. Accessing and using the wealth of weather information that is available can help farmers better prepare for natures uncertainties.

The Agricultural Weather Task Force and the University of Florida (UF) will be holding "Weather School 2000" at six locations in Florida this fall. This series of seminars is designed to introduce participants to available weather resources and show how this information can benefit farmers.

Representatives from UFs Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), Florida State University, the University of Miami, the National Weather Service, and private sector weather services will discuss forecasting and explain how to access and use weather data.

While the basic format will not change, each school will be tailored for the local agricultural industry. Topics covered during the daylong school will include:

• The El Nino / La Nina weather effect.
• Long-range forecasts.
• Short-term forecasts.
• Weather service products, availability, method of delivery, and cost structure.
• Special-need forecasting, warnings and alerts during severe weather events.
• Weather data, including type of weather data collected, locations, reporting interval, confidence of accuracy, how disseminated, and historical data base availablity.
• How to use weather information as a management tool.
• Water management and cold protection.
• Utilizing weather data to deal with severe situations such as hurricanes, fire, etc., to protect life and property.
• Plans for the completion of the UF/IFAS Florida Automated Weather Network (FAWN).

Each school will be held at a UF/IFAS facility. For information about Weather School 2000, contact John Jackson at (352) 343-4101 or visit http://fawn.ifas.ufl.edu  on the Internet. A $15 pre-registration fee will cover all written material, refreshments, other expenses associated with the schools, and a catered lunch. Registration at the door will cost $20.

Dates and locations of the Weather Schools are as follows:

October 10: Quincy REC
October 17: Alachua County Extension Office
October 24: Lake Alfred REC
October 31: Immokalee REC
November 9: Dade County Extension Office
November 21: Fort Pierce REC

-30-

For more information:
Terence McElroy
(850) 488-3022

Return to Agriculture News and Press Releases
florida-agriculture.com