Forecast Improvements

WDTB Project 10 – Warning Decision-Making Research and Training: NOAA’s NWS Weather Event Simulator

Decker, Hoggard, Magsig, Mohamed Said, Morris, NWS/WDTB collaborators

Funding Type: CIMMS Task II

Objectives
Develop simulation capabilities to enhance NWS warning decision making training and research; foster collaboration between NOAA and non-NOAA agencies using the Weather Event Simulator.

Accomplishments
Now in its sixth year since the initial release, NOAA’s NWS Weather Event Simulator (WES) continues to play an expanding role in NWS training. Every NWS forecaster with warning responsibility is required by NWS Directive 20-101 to complete two simulations using the WES prior to each significant weather season per year. The WES has also been a key part of the Warning Decision Training Branch’s (WDTB) major training initiatives. This includes the Advanced Warning Operations Course (AWOC), Winter Weather Advanced Warning Operations Course (WWAWOC) and the Distance Learning Operations Course (DLOC). In AWOC and WWAWOC, the WES was used by every student to apply lessons in an operational context. The WES was used in DLOC to expose inexperienced users to the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS). Two new training courses developed in FY2007 also utilized the WES. Both the Distance Learning Aviation Course (DLAC2) and Storm-Based Warnings training provided forecasters with the opportunity to apply new concepts in operationally representative conditions.

The WDTB is responsible for implementing the WES into NWS training, and CIMMS scientists support this initiative. Keeping WES updated with the latest operational AWIPS tools and supporting the NWS WES program are two main areas in which CIMMS plays a prominent role. CIMMS scientists at the WDTB are the primary WES developers. They create, test, distribute, and support WES for the NWS. In addition, they have been proactive in releasing WES to non-NOAA to promote collaboration between NOAA and non-NOAA agencies.

In the past year, CIMMS scientists collaborated with the WDTB, the Global Systems Division (GSD), the Meteorological Development Laboratory (MDL), and the Office of Science and Technology (OST) to develop and release several new versions of WES.

WES7.1 was developed in the previous CIMMS year but was released to the field in the most recent year. In this release, CIMMS scientists upgraded WES to support Operational Build 7.1 of AWIPS, including functionality such as increased frame count, new all-tilts navigation and the WSR-88D Snow Accumulation Algorithm (SAA). Additional improvements to the WES software included a new test case containing a larger suite of products and improved installation of AWIPS freeware. WES7.1 was also the first regular WES release to contain the Graphical Forecasting Editor (GFE) software first introduced in WES6.0ww. Improvements to the WES7.1 version of the WES Scripting Language (WESSL) included updated CWA maps, improved response logging and easier script building.

WES7.2 was completely developed and deployed in the last CIMMS year. WES7.2 supported AWIPS Operational Build 7.2 with new functionality such as the General User Alert Display Panel (GUARDIAN), SPG products (for TDWR) and enhanced DMD time-height displays. Also new in WES7.2, WESSL commands can now be issued in 10 second increments.

Development on WES8.1 began in the past year as well. CIMMS scientists worked with AWIPS developers to incorporate OB8.1 into WES including the new Storm Based Warnings functionality. WES8.1 will also include AvnFPS functionality as well as improved point data processing. OB8.1 and WES8.1 were scheduled for released in late July 2007.

In the last calendar year, NOAA users received replacement WES machines based off the new AWIPS hardware refresh LX workstations. These new machines contained improved hardware and software necessary to support future WES and AWIPS builds. CIMMS scientists created a “WES machine replacement disk image” containing RHE4 and WES7.1 was released in late 2006/early 2007 to forecast offices in most regions.

This project is ongoing.

Publications
Magsig, M.A., T.B. Decker, and N.A. Said, 2006: Builds five and six of NOAA’s NWS Weather Event Simulator. 22nd International Conf. on Interactive Information and Processing Systems (IIPS), Atlanta, GA, Amer. Meteor. Soc. WDTB WES official site: http://www.wdtb.noaa.gov/tools/wes/index.htm

The WES graphical interface.