Summary: The Erie, Pennsylvania, weather service office is slated for closure and is no longer providing service to the public. However, data from the Erie radar have been used by one of the three National Weather Service (NWS) offices now serving northwestern Pennsylvania. NWS has not officially closed the Erie office because of ongoing concerns about degradation of service to the Erie area, including inadequate radar coverage. This report examines how NWS implemented modernization and restructuring services in this area. GAO discusses (1) why the Erie weather service office was spun down before the Commerce Department issued a report in October 1995 on 32 problem areas; (2) what types of services were provided to the counties served by the Erie office before and after office spin-down, as well as what public concerns have been raised and how NWS responded to them; (3) what safety concerns have been raised about weather services at the Erie airport and about the timeliness of small-craft warnings for Lake Erie and how NWS has responded to them; and (4) whether reliable information exists on whether service in the Erie area has been degraded because of the modernization and office restructuring.
