Weather forecast prevents 1000 from being stranded

[HikingJoe]

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway closed due to a weather forecast before-hand, which ended up in helping 1000 people from being stranded.

I issued a High Wind Watch for the tram three days before the event. The event would be a high wind event, in which I did expect very strong winds hitting the area Tuesday evening into the night.

24 hours before the event, I issued a Hurricane Wind Speed Warning. This warning states that wind speeds of 74 mph or higher will be possible at anytime during the event time-line.

I spoke with tram officials about this impending weather forecast event. They asked me how sure I was and I said 100%. In fact I said "If I am wrong, fire me"

Being their weather guy, I had a lot on my plate to think about. I told them I was 100% sure of it and gave them a window of 5pm to 7pm for the winds to hit. They made the call to close the tramway at 6pm, with the last car up at 5pm and the last car down at 6pm.

This call was the first call in the history of the tram that a weatherman's word shutdown the entire attraction for safety reasons ahead of time, with a window for the event.

Well they shutdown and at 6:11pm a 69 mph wind gust was recorded at mountain station. In fact, tower 3 recorded 75 mph sustained winds around 7-8pm Tuesday night 4/14/09, and higher gusts. This verified the wind warning issued by the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Weather Center.

I visited the tram the following day at 10am. I heard about the gusts on tower 3 and they concluded it was my warning that saved around 1000 people from being stranded.

I was put into service to forecast for the tramway on April 4, 2009. 10 days later, I add a piece of history for them. Safety, and help save the people of the tramway ...

I do hope to continue helping the people that ride the wonderful attraction, and hope the public, and news reporters realize what a step it is and accomplishment for the tramway to have a meteorologist work for them to warn the tram officials, form a solution and time-line, that helped save people from being stranded on April 14, 2009.

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Thought I'd share my first month on the job.

[FIGHT ON]

Do they pay you?

[HikingJoe]

Yes. I run their weather center on pstramway.com.

The experience is interesting, yet 4/14 was nerve wrecking to make a call because of loss of revenue chancing + the weather event.

[Zé]

Quite honestly this might be the best post ever.

It symbolizes the changing of the guard from paper to internet news reporting, where could be less regulation. In this case, you have someone, under a ambiguous nickname, reporting news in the first person about himself and the job he did. Amazing. I'm sure there was no bias!

In this internet-driven news era, regulation needs to come from the readers, or else soon the claims will get even more outrageous.

If you could add a few quotes from someone talking about how great you were in this performance, I think it would make it even better!

[FIGHT ON]

Quite honestly this might be the best post ever.

It symbolizes the changing of the guard from paper to internet news reporting, where could be less regulation. In this case, you have someone, under a ambiguous nickname, reporting news in the first person about himself and the job he did. Amazing. I'm sure there was no bias!

In this internet-driven news era, regulation needs to come from the readers, or else soon the claims will get even more outrageous.

If you could add a few quotes from someone talking about how great you were in this performance, I think it would make it even better!

I think this guy is actually Hal!

[HikingJoe]

Is there a report button on here? I'm showing how the tram did teamwork with me vs the operators and it's a bashfest and quite honestly on the border of flaming which is against the TOS.

You hike my forecast area so the news pertains.

[FIGHT ON]

Is there a report button on here? I'm showing how the tram did teamwork with me vs the operators and it's a bashfest and quite honestly on the border of flaming which is against the TOS.

You hike my forecast area so the news pertains.

I was joking..

[HikingJoe]

Not you Fight On. One above you. I was delivering a blog post of mine on how the tram had an emergency method to get people down before a bad weather event hit, with a time window to do it in.

It was a first. That should build confidence in future events that happen in the event we need to get people down off the mountain station or they'll be stuck all night.

Even you are, being hikers, would appreciate not being stuck right?

[HikingJoe]

Also anyone that doesn't understand my username Joe is not a name only.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/joe

Means Guy. BTW I was up on the tramway the other day. -6F wind chills are awesome.

[AlanK]

Posting about oneself under a pseudonym shows no class. Ze is right to call you on it. It has nothing to do with the truth of your post. Good for you if you can forecast the weather. Better for all of us if you did not brag about yourself under an alias. Just come on as Kevin Martin and brag to your heart's content.