A hidden Innovation Park gem is operating 24/7 to bring life-saving alerts to a 33-county area. 

Between social media, newspapers, and TV broadcasts, there is no shortage of weather-related information floating around. Providers boast top-notch technologies that ensure precise and timely data. But if the only way to stay ahead of the storm would be to constantly refresh an Internet browser, how often would we be blindsided? What if we stepped away from the screen for a moment too long, missing the memo on an upcoming tornado or flashflood? 

Cue the National Weather Service (NWS). They’re responsible for the public advisories, watches, and warnings that are streamed with no initiative required on our part. They bring us information about imminent, potentially catastrophic weather conditions in time to stay off the road and seek shelter.

The NWS is a federal agency that is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA). The State College location, on the third floor of the 328 building in the Park, is home to the Forecast Office and Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center, both operations of the NWS. 

Warning Coordinator Meteorologist Peter Jung got started in the field of meteorology in New York City, then moved to Syracuse before relocating to State College, where has worked for the NWS State College since its doors opened in 1993 at the Rider II building downtown. 

Jung explained why he was initially attracted to meteorology: “Weather is a very interesting job— every day brings new challenges.” 

But variety isn’t the only job perk. “We can see tangible results from the work we do,” said Jung. “We have a direct impact—our work saves lives.”  The NWS, per its mission statement, seeks to protect life and property and enhance the national economy in all its operations. 

NWS State College made the move to Innovation Park in December 2005. 

“It’s been a nice change,” said Jung, who values the ease of access, remote location, and ample parking. “We were space-challenged downtown.” Moving to Innovation Park enabled the NWS to consolidate their offices onto a single floor and design their own floor plan. 

NWS State College houses one of only two Forecast Offices located in Pennsylvania. It serves the middle two-thirds of the state, encompassing counties as far northwest as Warren and southeast as Lancaster. NWS’s national network comprises 122 forecasting locations, providing 95% national coverage in total. 

The regional footprint of the River Forecasting Center is broader than its sister Forecasting Office, ranging from New York State to Virginia, as it services all rivers that drain into the Chesapeake Bay. Opposite from the Forecasting Office in the Innovation Park location, it is one of only 12 River Forecasting Centers in the nation. Computer modeling predicts river conditions including precipitation and flooding, and provides that output to the Forecast Office, which acts as a public interface. 

Overall, the two offices employ 42 individuals who fulfill forecasting responsibilities, issue warnings and advisories for every type of weather, manage emergencies, ensure preparedness, create specialized briefs, and collaborate with other state and federal agencies. Onsite technology incudes a breadth of communications infrastructure that constantly sources information from heavy computing offices in Washington, D.C. and transmits output via satellite. 

Every semester, volunteers from Penn State join the team, along with occasional paid interns through the Pathways program. NWS is involved in ongoing research projects with the University, and a symbiotic relationship exists between faculty researchers and the NWS science officer. Workshops enable information sharing and reciprocal communications.  

A fixture at Innovation Park, the NWS offers stability to employees and the community. Because it is a taxpayer-supported organization, all NWS products and services are free to the public. Learn more at http://www.weather.gov/ctp.

Peter Jung is happy to be situated in the Park, where NWS employees belong to a friendly, supportive community within the greater State College community.