NEW YORK AIR ROUTE TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER

10:03 A.M. / 1503Z

   After receiving the sector briefing, Jacob scanned the entire radarscope to verify the progress, and intended progress of each aircraft already in Area D's "Broadway" Low Altitude arrival sector. Looking around the western edge of the scope, Jacob could see the limited data blocks for another five aircraft headed toward Newark-Liberty.

   Weather returns from the NEXRAD weather radar showed heavy intensity weather stretching from Altoona, northeastward toward Milton, then east toward Allentown. Numerous severe weather warnings had already been issued, and several more "SIGMET's" were in the process of being printed.

   If that wasn't enough, turbulence and additional thunderstorms were causing trouble to the north of the Broadway sector, up in Area C's airspace...extending further north into Boston Center's airspace.

   If there was any good news, the eastern line of the weather seemed to end just at the Pennsylvania / New Jersey border, somewhere between the Stillwater and Broadway VOR navigation stations. Also, the ZNY Traffic Management Unit had already instituted Severe Weather Avoidance Plan (SWAP) departure reroutes, with most of the New York metropolitan departures rerouted to the south.

   Jacob took a look at the URET screen. Electronic data for at least twenty six aircraft was posted, and more were on the way. Because of the weather, the JFK arrivals that should be to the north of the Broadway sector, were heading south. And the La Guardia arrivals that should be in the "Milton" sector to the south of Broadway, were now deviating north.

   The plan had already been made. Other than the exception of having close to thirty aircraft to keep track of, five different altitude crossing restrictions to give, three different radio frequencies to send aircraft over to, and no help available, it was a relatively simple plan.