DISPATCHER FOR A MAJOR AIRLINE WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE SIGNIFICANT WX CHANGE INFO TO ENRTE ACFT DUE TO WORKLOAD DEMANDS.

Narrative

I WAS WORKING AN AFTERNOON DISPATCH SHIFT; THE 'C' DESK; FOR ACR X AIRLINES ON SEP/MON/93. AT APPROX XA30 PDT; AN AREA OF UNFORECASTED; INTENSE TSTMS BEGAN TO DEVELOP IN SE OREGON/NW NEVADA. I WAS FIRST AWARE OF THIS SIGNIFICANT WX WHEN I RECEIVED; VIA TELETYPE; A SIGMET. I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT DESIGNATOR; HOWEVER; TOPS WERE FORECAST TO FL400 AND ACTUALLY BUILT TO FL450. I HAD NUMEROUS ACFT UNDER MY JURISDICTION; AND THE AFFECTED AREA STRADDLED THE PRIMARY JET RTES BTWN THE PACIFIC NW AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. I WAS ABLE TO AMEND THE DISPATCH RELEASES AND ADEQUATELY BRIEF THOSE FLCS OF ACFT NOT YET DEPARTED AND ADVISED THEM OF THE ENRTE WX AND SUGGESTED ALTERNATIVE RTES. HOWEVER; I WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT ENRTE ACFT BECAUSE OF WORKLOAD AND TIME CONSTRAINTS. THESE ACFT WERE BASICALLY LEFT TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES. I WAS PREOCCUPIED WITH A 'CREEPING' MECHANICAL DELAY ON FLT (NUMBER) IN ONTARIO; CA; WHICH CONSUMED SOME OF THE AVAILABLE TIME. I FEEL I INADVERTENTLY VIOLATED A DISPATCHING FAR THAT REQUIRES THE DISPATCHER TO ADVISE ENRTE ACFT OF CONDITIONS ALONG THE PLANNED RTE THAT COULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE SAFETY OF FLT. I FEEL THAT ACR X NEEDS TO DEVELOP CRITERIA ON HOW MANY FLTS CAN BE SAFELY ADMINISTERED BY 1 DISPATCHER; AND TO DEVELOP BETTER PROCS AND TRAINING TO HELP DISPATCHERS PERFORM SAFETY/WX ADVISORIES.