I’m a New Orleans native, and lived in that city for most of my life. Plenty of folks made a fuss over oil patch busts; in fact, the entire GoM coast was in turmoil, as well as the entire country. Did the states bordering the Lakes not react to the Lake fleets early lay-up?
Well, Where does Windy get their data from? Where do any of your weather radar apps, or the weather channel for that matter, get their radar images from? The NWS. It’s all the same data coming from NWS sensors. It’s all just NWS data in a different UI. Even the Mega Doppler 7000 HD or whatever your local news calls their radar is just a reskin of the NOAA data.
I’m not saying this is going to ruin weather forecasting, but I do think this move was perhaps, a little shortsighted. There are comminutes where there is no one to keep the watch in the NWS office. Sure, they will redraw AORs and make due, but come on, this was dumb.
The Boatnerds did (boatnerd.com), but the average person up here has, surprisingly, little to no interest in the boats. I even had a surveyor (flew up from the Gulf) say he had no idea we had 1000ft self unloading bulkers up here.
No, most people who do not live within spitting distance of a port have no clue how much of the economy is driven by waterborne transportation.
I tell all the mates that very thing; Windy is pretty, but surface maps/500mb charts, and the automated buoy site is your best source of weather data to confirm the NWS forecast.
My biggest worry is how available will a forecaster be if we call for a quick chat. That is a HUGE benefit of the local offices that generate the near shore forecasts as well as CLE/DTW (Pontiac) , and Marquette.offices for open Lake forecasts. They are always very willing to talk, particularly if what we see on the boat is not matching the forecast or to follow up on a VOS observation. We shall see …
This, this, this. EVERY SINGLE product providing any sort of weather prediction in the US uses NOAA data. NOAA data collected and QC’d by NOAA scientists and available to everyone in the world for free. Enjoy it while it lasts…
What is with the “supposed chaplain”? Ten years as a disaster relief chaplain working disasters from Sandy in NJ to Harvey in Texas. Ten years as a chaplain with a local hospice. I had to give those chaplaincies after my wife had a stroke and needed me close to home.
Folks make all sorts of claims. My take on your forum ID is that it could be a nickname.
My apologies, as no insult was intended.
It’s a sad situation. When I started going to sea, you could still swing a cat and hit at least one mariner.
Thank you. Your reply is very much appreciated. As for your forum ID, I have no clue what AKBJR means. 
I sincerely hope you have a blessed day and never need the services of a “chaplain” in any form.
Weather prediction is the most comprehensive cooperative organization in the world. When I sent a 6 hourly weather reports to the Met Service in Wellington, New Zealand, those observations were immediately available to NOAA. Before you question the relevance of that to the US I was master of a liner service running between the West Coast of USA and Australasia. Canada’s observations are also used by NOAA as are other Met Organizations world wide.
I do. 
No it does not. Most places are running shorthanded with 3:1 or 4:1 retiring for each new hire allowed if that rule in place going back many years now. The people fired were NOT fired because of poor performance, bad reviews, not being needed, or anything else but to satisfy the cruelty of a drug addled Nazi.
The recent crash at DCA had ONE controller doing all the aircraft AND the low altitude helicopters when there should have been 2 controllers on duty. Firing a few hundred FAA staff and making sure the rest know it is their turn soon is not improving ATC in any way and then Elmo had the genius idea to rehire retired air traffic controllers. Pro Tip: It is illegal to be a controller past age 50, they are not coming back.
What I heard I find quite ridiculous. Spouses of military personnel often are employed by Federal agencies. When the spouse gets posted to a different location the spouse, even though they have been employed by the same agency for a number of years, is treated as a new hire on probation when they are employed at the new location.
Under the present circumstances they are now getting fired.
Most of the enlisted need two incomes to survive. It would seem a rocky road ahead for Donald and the Rocket Man if they upset the military.
He’ll be fine. This is what they voted for.
There has to be one in every forum. 