RPTR IS CONCERNED THAT CTLRS CANNOT HANDLE THE DUTIES OF SUPPLEMENTING THE WX RPTING AND STILL DO THEIR PRIMARY JOB OF ATC. THEIR ARPT NWS PERSONNEL HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY ASOS RPTING EQUIP.

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AT XA50 A LARGE TSTM WAS VISIBLE TO THE W MOVING TOWARD THE FIELD. RADAR INDICATED A LARGE AREA OF LEVEL 4; 5; AND 6 ECHOES ABOUT 15-20 MI FROM THE ARPT. I WAS ASSIGNED TO THE TRACON; SO I LEFT THE TWR CAB. I FIRST HEARD THUNDER DOWNSTAIRS AT XB22 (REMEMBER; A LOT OF VERY ACTIVE AND VERY VIVID LIGHTNING WAS VISIBLE LONG BEFORE THAT). AT XB25 OR SO; THE WIND SHIFTED FROM 060 DEGS AT 18 KTS; GUSTING TO 30 KTS; TO 280 DEGS AT 23 KTS. DURING THIS ENTIRE TIME; THE ONLY WX ON THE ATIS READ M38 OVCST 10+ WIND 060 DEGS AT 19 KTS. THERE WAS NEVER ANY RPT OF TSTM OR LIGHTNING; AND NO SPECIAL OBSERVATIONS WERE TAKEN (AT LEAST BY TWR OBSERVERS FOR ATIS USE -- WE DO HAVE ASOS; WITH NO TSTM DETECTION). AT ABOUT XB28; THE ATIS WAS TURNED OFF. IT REMAINED OFF; WITH NO AUTOMATIC WX OR APCH INFO AVAILABLE; UNTIL XC10 -- 40 MINS. DURING THIS TIME; 1 ACFT APCHED FROM THE E; DEVIATED AROUND THE LINE OF WX; AND LANDED AT CID. HE MADE THE APCH SAFELY; WITH WX INFO FROM THE APCH CTLR; BUT APCH ALSO HAD TO ISSUE ALL THE WX INFO -- INCLUDING SOME THAT WAS OUTDATED. I LAY THE BLAME FOR THIS ENTIRE INCIDENT ON THE FAA'S POLICY OF ELIMINATING PROFESSIONAL; TRAINED WX OBSERVERS AT ARPTS IN FAVOR OF LETTING CTLRS DO THE JOB AS PART OF THEIR DUTIES. WE CANNOT PROVIDE THE LEVEL OF EXPERTISE OR THE ESSENTIAL TIME-CRITICAL ELEMENTS OF WX EFFECTIVELY AS PART-TIME WX OBSERVERS AND FULL-TIME CTLRS. THE FAA IS LETTING THE BOTTOM LINE OVERRULE SAFETY!