Changes to ‘Alaska Weather’ Television Program and Soliciting Comments on Future Service Changes through July 30, 2023

Effective July 1, 2023, Alaska Public Media will no longer assemble and distribute the daily ‘Alaska Weather’ television program. To continue support to users, NWS will continue to produce graphics and record a modified web-based version of the program.

‘Alaska Weather’ is a 30-minute TV broadcast produced daily through a partnership between the National Weather Service (NWS) and Alaska Public Media (AKPM). The broadcast is available through public TV stations, the Alaska Rural Communication Service, cable and satellite providers, and posted to AKPM’s YouTube channel and several NWS websites.

Under this partnership, NWS records program content, while AKPM assembles and distributes the TV program throughout Alaska. The program is unique to Alaska and has run continuously since 1976 as a way to inform rural Alaskan residents about daily weather, climate, sea ice, and hydrologic information.

For additional information on ‘Alaska Weather’ see:  https://www.weather.gov/afc/tv

Beginning July 1, NWS will post the modified video content to the NWS Alaska YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/@nwsalaska

For users without access to high-speed Internet service, NOAA Weather Radio will remain available to those who currently have access and statewide Public and Marine forecasts will continue to be available over the phone through the Alaska Weather Information Line at 1-855-937-4977 and https://www.weather.gov/arh/awil.

In addition, web-based forecast content included in the TV broadcast continues to be available via multiple sources listed here:  http://weather.gov/media/infoservicechanges/Alaska_Weather_links.pdf

These alternatives to the currently broadcasted ‘Alaska Weather’ TV program, are meant to provide an immediate short-term replacement for broadcast content. NWS has initiated an extensive stakeholder engagement effort to work with rural and Native Alaskan leadership to better understand their current needs and technical capabilities for accessing critical NWS information. NWS is currently soliciting comments, through July 30, 2023 on these changes and suggestions for ways to improve services to Alaska’s rural and Native Alaskan communities.

We are particularly interested to learn:

1. Current sources of weather or climate information that rural Alaskan residents use;
2. Any additional weather or climate information that is needed but is not currently available;
3. What sources of communication are used to receive weather information;
4. Suggestions for addressing coverage gaps in rural communities; and
5. The impacts of replacing the television broadcast with a web-based version. Input received from this notice and through our engagement efforts will be used to inform whether additional changes will be made to NWS services.

An additional SCN will be provided this fall if additional changes to NWS services are forthcoming; if no suggestions are received, services may remain as provided on July 1.

Please send comments/input, as requested above, to nws.service-changecomments@noaa.gov

Please address any questions and information requests about this notice to:

Carrie M. Haisley
Chief, Emergency Services and Multimedia Branch
Alaska Environmental Science and Service Integration Center
Anchorage, AK
Email: carrie.haisley@noaa.gov

and

Donald (Don) Moore
Director, Alaska Environmental Science and Services Integration Center
Anchorage, AK
Email: donald.moore@noaa.gov
National Service Change Notices are online at: https://www.weather.gov/notification/