Date: Wed, 1 Dec 1999 21:36:50 -0800 (PST)

To: csac-utah@csac.org

Subject: Utah Avalanche Bulletins


Here is a description of the problems with the Utah bulletin.

They have changed their distribution to the internet for both mtn weather
and avalanche bulletins. Recently they have often been posting the
mountain weather to both routes and the avalanche bulletin has been
missing. Our system is set up to process and format the avalanche bulletin
and at this time an empty message results if weather shows up instead.

When they release the avalanche bulletin our system distributes it as it
should.

When there is an error there ideally should be no message but I need to
look at our script to fix this and I can't do that at the moment. On days
when it is possible the bulletin is forwarded manually. However the CSAC
consists primarily of one full time unpaid person and I am currently
involved in some field training so on some days the automation needs to be
relied on.

These problems usually get ironed out early in the year for the most part,
although in a typical year it surfaces from time to time. 

The best service would result from a direct submission of the Utah
bulletin to this list. Unfortunately the USFS center is (and always has
been) unwilling to do this.

Sorry for the early season problems. We appreciate your patience and we
will continue to work on getting the bulletin out to you on those days
when the center releases it to the internet.

Jim

--
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      Cyberspace Snow and Avalanche Center (CSAC)
      131 NW 4th St Suite 397, Corvallis OR 97330
     #343 - 3495 Cambie St, Vancouver BC  V5Z 4R3
          (877) 457-0913  (530) 509-7840 Fax

       http://www.csac.org        snow@csac.org

              Jim Frankenfield; Director
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