“current conditions” information

Let us know what the weather (hopefully snow fall) is like in your area

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Darrell
Posts: 712
Joined: Thu Nov 06, 2003 1:03 am
Location: Nordale Road area

“current conditions” information

#1 Post by Darrell »

By Dermot Cole
Staff Writer
Published August 28, 2007


WEATHER REPORT: With the season ready to change, people will soon be punching 452-3553 into their phones or hitting the speed-dial button more often to check the forecast. This has been the lucky number for the taped hourly forecast in Fairbanks since 1976.

You don’t have to change the old habit just yet, but for those of you who are more likely to know that number than the figure given as your weight on your driver’s license, it’s time to start switching to a new seven-digit weather sequence.

The old number, which was the office phone for the weather bureau before statehood, though in those days it was simply “3553″ with no prefix, is being retired as of Dec. 1.

The National Weather Service is switching to the fully automated system available by calling 458-3745.

When you reach the main menu, hit “1″ four times for the current Fairbanks forecast.

If you want the record high, record low and sunrise information, just hit “1″ three times and number “2″ one time.

A lot of organizations have temperature cancellation policies tied to the “current conditions” information reported by the weather service. To get that information you call 458-3745 and hit 1,1,1,3.

Since every organization has a different temperature cutoff in the winter, this is a vital piece of information.

There are also automated recordings available for areas throughout the state, so if you are overcome with a desire to learn how hard the wind is blowing in Nome, hit 1,2,1 after calling the main number.

The computerized voice on the forecasts is produced by a process known as “speech concatenation” that automatically converts text information to a human-like voice.

A Victoria, B.C., company developed the software for the StarCaster system, which has a voice database containing “digitized units of speech,” which are phrases and tones that can be linked for a smooth delivery.


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paulneva
Posts: 434
Joined: Fri Nov 26, 2004 9:03 pm
Location: Fairbanks

Re: “current conditions” information

#2 Post by paulneva »

Thanks. :thumbleft:

Paul
Paul S. Renschen

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