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Story from Topeka

Story from Topeka. George Phillips Science and Operations Officer NWS – Topeka KS. Topics. 3D Radar Displays Help for Drawing Initial Polygon Integrating Environmental Information Into Warngen Display Automatic 8 Bit Data from surrounding RDAs Best Practices. 3D Reflectivity.

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Story from Topeka

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  1. Story from Topeka George Phillips Science and Operations Officer NWS – Topeka KS

  2. Topics • 3D Radar Displays • Help for Drawing Initial Polygon • Integrating Environmental Information Into Warngen Display • Automatic 8 Bit Data from surrounding RDAs • Best Practices

  3. 3D Reflectivity • 4-panels and All-Tilts great, have strengths, but also obvious limitations • Upcoming FSI and multi-radar products will enhance our ability to visualize storms in three dimensions and decrease limitations • 3D type displays like GR2AE: • tremendous at helping evaluate reflectivity in 3D and its evolution through time • able to help us quickly evaluate the vertical extent of various reflectivity “surfaces” vs. height (AGL or temperature level)

  4. GR2AE at Topeka • Utilized since June 2006 as supplementary data/display • Mets use 3D reflectivity almost exclusively while using in real-time • Primarily for determining: • Vertical extent of reflectivity surfaces • Structures associated with supercells • Time evolution of previous two items • Incredibly fast to be able to quickly investigate several storms

  5. GR2AE at Topeka (cont) • Also used for: • Post storm analysis • Viewing 8bit data from cases prior to 2003 • Investigating storms in other CWAs • Obtaining 8bit data in real time from adjacent radar

  6. AWIPS 3D Display Needs • Speed, speed, speed • Transparencies • Customizable color curves • Easily manipulated views • Customizable display of environmental data heights (0C, -20C, etc.)

  7. Initial Polygon Issues • Early use of Warngen resulted in polygons that were almost purely the result of extrapolation (or, in some places, whole counties) • As experience was gained, emphasis was placed on better forecasting of future storm movement and development • Pure polygon warnings make this critically important • This is always going to be challenging • Displays that enable warngen panel synch with higher elevation angles or CAPPI would be good

  8. Better Integration of Environmental Info Into WDM • Still an area where WDM improvements can help performance • Olden days (AFOS and PUP) • Briefing/Self-Briefing on environment • During event, hopefully mesoscale analyst • Challenging for WDMaker to effectively utilize changing environment significantly in decision • AWIPS • Huge improvement with overlay capabilities • Further help with advanced Volume Browser fields • Anything further to tie environment to radar displays/evolutions will help • Constant learning process • Always with a caution about representativeness of environmental data • Additional, reliable and timely mesonet data would be huge • Easy LAPS/RUC sounding generation from main Warngen panel would be helpful

  9. Easy Sounding Generation from Warngen Panel • Possible functionality • Right-click on display • Choose Generate Sounding • Choose LAPS/RUC/etc. • Essentially sampling as cursor moves across screen • Parameters may have be to simple for speed • Anything that makes it easier to integrate environment into WDM makes learning easier • Adds confidence level to evaluation of semi-black-box plan view environmental fields

  10. Automatic 8 bit Data from Surrounding RDAs • RMRs slow, limited and timing of request critical • Script to change to dedicated user? One radar. Anyone use this? • Took forever to get 4-panels of 4-bit from other radars • Significant handicap if own RDA goes down or investigating storms closer to nearby RDA • We didn’t know how bad 4-bit was until we had 8-bit ;-)

  11. Best Practices? • Not really, but perhaps helpful since others coming into our office hadn’t seen it • Keeping track of what is in small panes is a pain • CWA map backgrounds in procedures from surrounding RDAs different colors • CWA map backgrounds in procedures for multi-radar 4-panels different color • Varying elevation 4-panel procedures from same RDA have different line style

  12. Wrapup • 3D Radar Displays • Help for Drawing Initial Polygon • Integrating Environmental Information Into Warngen Display • Automatic 8 Bit Data from surrounding RDAs • Best Practices? • CWA map background colors/styles • Multi-radar 4-panels

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