Where the Weather Works

This past weekend, I had the exciting opportunity to get the inside look at the National Weather Service Chicago Forecast Office in Romeoville, IL, as they held an open house on Saturday, September 21.

This office is one of approximately 120 local weather forecast offices scattered all throughout the country, which provide weather forecast and warning products for a designated collection of counties.  The Chicago office serves 23 counties in northeastern Illinois and northwest Indiana.

The office is a relatively small building, out in the midst of wide open fields, neighboring Lewis University and its airport.  But there's a lot that goes on inside it.

During my time visiting the open house, I got a tour of the inside, with explanations about the products the office issues and how they do their work.  The main area of focus in the office is the operations center, staffed 24/7.  There are several desks in the operations area, where the staff on duty sit in front of computers (with multiple monitors), looking over weather data and using the information for forecasts and alerts.

Outside the office, various organizations had booths set up with information.  I was particularly fascinated by the USGS booth that showed equipment used to monitor river water levels.  And I was especially delighted to see a few meteorology students from Valparaiso University there as well, fellow colleagues I know well from my time as a student there.  (They even brought the incredible tornado machine.)  There were also emergency response vehicles on display, including a couple of fire trucks and a mobile command center.

The National Weather Service indeed plays an important role in protecting lives and property, and aiding the nation's economy forward by providing essential information about the weather, which affects all aspects of life.  It was great for the NWS Chicago office to have this open house, so the public could see it and garner a sense of the important work that takes place there.

This was actually the fourth time I've been to this office.  I have appreciated being able to go there when I have, because each time I have been able to get the insider's look at the physical setting that produces meteorological forecast and alert products I refer to all the time.

With that said, I'd like to offer a shout-out to the hard-working meteorologists on staff there and all throughout the nation who provide essential information on the weather.

To access these products, visit the NWS webpage at www.weather.gov
The Chicago office's page can be found at www.weather.gov/chicago