Overview of the NSSL Experimental Warning Program (EWP) EWP2011

1. Overview of the NSSL Experimental Warning Program (EWP)EWP2011 Greg Stumpf CIMMS / University of Oklahoma NWS MDL Location: National Weather Center, Norman, OK

2. What is the HWT? • Both a facility and an organization… • The facility is located on the second floor of the new NWC, between the SPC and WFO OUN operational forecasting areas. • An organization that supports and promotes collaborative research activities between NSSL, SPC, OUN, and the broader meteorological community of researcher scientists, academia, and forecasters.

3. What we can test • New sensors: • PAR, CASA, dual-pol, DOW, LMA, GOES-R • New Applications/Algorithms: • MRMS, “future radar”, very-short term NWP, probabilistic guidance, auto storm typing • New concepts, products, services: • NGWT, Probabilistic Hazard Information, new dissemination techniques, advanced visualization, decision support systems, human-machine mix

4. Recent EWP Experiments 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

5. Current EWP Experiments 2011

6. New for 2011 • Added an EWP morning shift: • Emulates WFO forecast-nowcast-warning process • Writing Area Forecast Discussions (AFD) • Informs discussion of selecting aftn/evening warning domain • Cooperate with new EFP CI desk • Participate in nowcasting/monitoring CI in early afternoon • Joint EWP/EFP Map Discussion • EWP participants discuss previous day in detail • EFP participants provide forecast guidance • Emulates national center / WFO interaction

7. Operational Shifts • The weekly shift schedule will be as follows: • Mon 10a-6p Orientation and Training • Tue-Thu 10a-6p Early “forecast” shift • Tue-Thu 1p-9p Late “warning” shift • Fri 10a-1p Debriefing and optional seminars • Participants will be divided into two groups. This is to provide the experience of both shifts to everyone. • Group 1 (Curran, Blair, Brown, Keighton, Prentice, Santos, Buonanno, Sohl):Mo (10a-6p); Tu (10a-6p); We (1p-9p); Th (10a-6p); Fr (10a-1p) • Group 2 (Billings, Taylor, Vincent, Donofrio, Goodman, Schultz, Jordan, Leins, Smith, Bunting, Lane):Mo (10a-6p); Tu (1p-9p); We (10a-6p); Th (1p-9p); Fr (10a-1p)

8. Monday Training Schedule 1000a Convene to NSSL Dev Lab (NWC2820) 1000a Welcome and Introductions 1015a EWP2011 Logistics Briefing 1030a 3DVAR Training 1050a OUN WRF Training 1110a GOES-R UAH SatCast Training 1130a GOES-R UWCI Training 1150p Lunch Break 1220p GOES-R PGLM Training 1240p GOES-R OTTC Training 100p GOES-R NearCast Training 130p Break 200p Convene in HWT Operations Area for on-hands training with Displaced Real-Time WES case or real-time data 600p Adjourn

9. Tue-Wed-ThuEarly “Forecast” Shift 1000a Forecasters arrive in HWT Operations Area 1000a-1230p Prepare and issue initial Area Forecast Discussion 1230p-100p Lunch Break 100p-130p Joint EWP/EFP Map Discussion 130p Convene to Dev Lab 130p-230p Debriefing of previous day event (if applicable) and daily coordination discussion 230p Convene to HWT Operations Area 230p-515p Work with EFP CI desk; CI monitoring; preparation of update to Area Forecast Discussion; issuing nowcasts/warnings using experimental data (decision on these activities is weather-dependent and up to the weekly coordinator) 515p-600p Post-event survey 600p Early Shift forecasters Adjourn

10. Tue-Wed-ThuLate “Warning” Shift 100p Forecasters arrive in HWT Operations Area 100p-130p Joint EWP/EFP Map Discussion 130p Convene to Dev Lab 130p-230p Daily coordination discussion; Debriefing of previous day event (if applicable) 230p Convene to HWT Operations Area 230p-815p Issuing nowcasts and warnings using experimental data; CI monitoring (decision on these activities is weather-dependent and up to the weekly coordinator). *** Dinner break will be built in. 815p-900p Post-event survey 900p Late Shift forecasters Adjourn

11. Friday Wrap-Up 1000am-1200pm Weekly debrief (Dev Lab) 1200pm-100pm Optional brown bag lunch seminars (Dev Lab) 100pm Operations End for the week

12. HWT Technology • AWIPS • Available at every workstation • Can be “localized” to any WFO • Ingests experimental product grids • WarnGen to issue experimental Sig Wx Advisories and Warnings • WDSSII and Google Earth also available at all workstations • Situational Awareness Display (SAD)

13. EWP Web Presence • External (public) • http://ewp.nssl.noaa.gov • Content: • General Information about the EWP • Past experiment information • Internal (private) • https://secure.nssl.noaa.gov/projects/ewp2010 • NOAA LDAP user and password • Content: • The EWP Blog • Schedules (Google Calendar) • Operations Manuals • Experiment PowerPoint Briefings • Other useful links

14. Future EWP Possibilities • More emphasis on extended/overlapping shifts with EFP • New AWIPS2 servers (almost checked this off  ) • Activities outside of Spring season • Flood, winter weather, fire weather • Social Science customer studies of new services

15. EWP Final Thoughts • This is a research experiment… • …therefore, expect to be glitches, bugs, and wrinkles! • Try to focus beyond these glitches toward the bigger picture: • To the future of NWS warning operations and services

16. EWP Final Thoughts • Learn about exciting new technology • Share your knowledge with your peers • Have fun!