As a China Dust Storm Hit the U.S., the plume hanging over Colorado was about four miles thick, evidence of a dust storm that began early this month on the Mongolian-China border and then streamed out across Korea and the Pacific Ocean to hit the U.S. The storm left areas from Canada from Arizona with a blanket of dust.

In Denver and along the foothills of the Rockies, mountains were obscured by haze. Russ Schnell, director of observatory operations for NOAA's Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory in Boulder, indicated how unusual it was for the dust cloud to hang together as long as it did. He said that such events carry urban pollution along with the dust. "Nature," he said, "sent us a perfect storm to reinforce the fact that we are all downwind of someone else's pollution."

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Satellite ../images reveal a thick, yellow swirl of dust streaming out
across Korea and the Pacific Ocean toward the U.S.

Top Grades were given to NOAA's National Weather Service this week, a reflection of its "results-oriented management system." NWS received all As in a government management report card issued by Government Executive magazine and George Washington University. That's the highest grade ever given in the report card. Success was also attributed to other measurements: the lead time for tracking tornado warnings has nearly doubled since 1993; there's been a two-fold increase in flood warning lead times since 1993; and there's been a 30% improvement in accurately predicting hurricane landfalls since 1993.

To help focus national attention on hurricane threats and safety, NWS has proposed designating May 21 -25 as Hurricane Awareness Week. With ever-increasing population along the coasts, this designation has never been more important. Over 50%of the U.S. population now lives and works within 50 miles of our coasts.

The prototype of a new hurricane education and safety web site has also been introduced. Central to saving lives and property, topics are: coastal and marine hazards; wind hazards such as tornadoes; inland flooding; the forecast process and uncertainty; and mitigating disaster - the steps to take.

Hurling Solar Storms at Earth, an exploding sun caused billions of tons of electrically charged particles to shower earth this month. NOAA space weather forecasters at the Space Environment Center in Boulder reported that the fast-moving storms traveled at about 1,200 miles per second. Strong geomagnetic storms can affect satellites, electric power grids, flights, navigation, and high frequency radio communications. On April 10, a strong radio blackout occured on the sunlit (Pacific) side of the Earth.

We have been in a period known as solar maximum since about 1999. Solar maximum is the period of time during the sun's 11-year solar cycle when it is most active. This period generally lasts for about three years. For the latest information on solar activity, click on http://www.sec.noaa.gov, then Space Weather Now.

The First Class of Candidates in NOAA's Undergraduate Scholarship Program of the Educational Partnership Program with Minority Serving Institutions will be introduced to NOAA at headquarters this June. The program gives junior/senior students at these institutions the chance to engage in disciplines intrinsic to NOAA's work. Appointments will be made to students attending Hispanic Serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and Tribal Colleges and Universities. Ten candidates will be chosen for 10-week paid internships. They will rotate among line and other offices.

Candidates who commit to pursue degrees in NOAA-related sciences will also be offered tuition help during the academic year and, if they maintain a 3.0 grade point average, they will have an opportunity to receive a second paid 10-week internship the following summer. At each NOAA site, mentors are being identified, then trained. Jacqueline Rousseau, jacqueline.rousseau @noaa.gov; Victoria Robinson, victoria.robinson@noaa.gov.

See http://www.rdc.noaa.gov for NOAA-Wide Announcements.

Fostering a new generation of marine scientists, educators and policy makers, NOAA is a strong supporter of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl, now an annual regional and national competition. The competition tests high schoolers' grasp of ocean sciences - and links the importance of a healthy sea to our daily lives. NOAA staff, along with teachers and coaches, volunteer time to make the Bowl a challenging success. Muriel Cole, of the Chief Scientist's Office, and Sea Grant Fellow, Giselle Firme, kept score at this year's national finals. NOAA's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory is host of the Midwest Regional Competition, which also sets up field trips for winning teams. Mike Quigley helps spearhead this effort. Carole Fletcher is regional coordinator.

This year nearly 2,000 students and teachers from over 260 schools took part in 19 regional competitions. At the finals in Miami, a Massachusetts team was crowned champion. Erica Van Coverden, of NOAA Research in Miami, is a key organizer of the finals. After 13 other NOAA Research staff volunteered at the Florida Regional Competition, most returned to again volunteer at the finals. Mike Quigley, quigley@glerl.noaa.gov.