Watch By County Status UpdateWatch By County Status Update

NWS Partners Workshop

June 24, 2004

NWS Partners Workshop

June 24, 2004

Mark Tew

Fire and Public Weather Services Branch

Office of Climate, Water and Weather Services

Overview Overview

• Recent Watch By County History

• SPC Software Development

• WFO Software Development

• 2004 WBC Milestones

• Implementation Issues

• Reminder

• Recent Watch By County History

• SPC Software Development

• WFO Software Development

• 2004 WBC Milestones

• Implementation Issues

• Reminder

Recent Watch By County HistoryRecent Watch By County History

• Initial Watch Outline Update Message Became an Operational Product on January 6

• Internal Test of WFO WBC Software in March

• Select WFOs Issuing WCNs on an Experimental Basis.

– 18 WFOs by mid July

• WOUs are now the NWS’s Primary County Based Convective Watch Product

• Initial Watch Outline Update Message Became an Operational Product on January 6

• Internal Test of WFO WBC Software in March

• Select WFOs Issuing WCNs on an Experimental Basis.

– 18 WFOs by mid July

• WOUs are now the NWS’s Primary County Based Convective Watch Product

SPC Software Development SPC Software Development • Service Backup

– Successfully tested backup of initial WOUs

– Will test backup of hourly update and final WOUs in September

• Valid Time Event Code (Revised Specification Pending)

– Use Revised Specification

– Add to WOUs on July 7

– “X” code for initial WOUs

– “E” code for hourly update and final WOUs

• Marine Zones

– Add on July 7

• Service Backup

– Successfully tested backup of initial WOUs

– Will test backup of hourly update and final WOUs in September

• Valid Time Event Code (Revised Specification Pending)

– Use Revised Specification

– Add to WOUs on July 7

– “X” code for initial WOUs

– “E” code for hourly update and final WOUs

• Marine Zones

– Add on July 7

Watch Outline Update Message

Watch Outline Update Message

OUS64 KWNS 022245

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE FOR WS 387

NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK

550 PM CDT WED JUN 2 2004

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 387 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 12:00 AM CDT

FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS

OKC141-030500-

OK

. OKLAHOMA COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

TILLMAN

$$

TXC001-009-023-035-059-085-093-113-119-121-133-139-143-151-155-

161-193-197-207-213-217-221-223-231-237-251-253-257-275-289-293-

309-349-353-363-367-379-397-417-425-429-439-441-447-467-485-487-

497-503-030500-

TX

. TEXAS COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

ANDERSON ARCHER BAYLOR

BOSQUE CALLAHAN COLLIN

COMANCHE DALLAS DELTA

DENTON EASTLAND ELLIS

ERATH FISHER FOARD

FREESTONE HAMILTON HARDEMAN

HASKELL HENDERSON HILL

HOOD HOPKINS HUNT

JACK JOHNSON JONES

KAUFMAN KNOX LEON

LIMESTONE MCLENNAN NAVARRO

NOLAN PALO PINTO PARKER

RAINS ROCKWALL SHACKELFORD

SOMERVELL STEPHENS TARRANT

TAYLOR THROCKMORTON VAN ZANDT

WICHITA WILBARGER WISE

YOUNG

$$

ATTN...WFO...OUN...FWD...SJT...

WFO Software Development WFO Software Development

• Service Backup

– Successfully test backup of WCNs

• Valid Time Event Code (Revised Specification Pending)

– Switched to the revised specification in May

– “E” code for all WCNs

• Marine Zones

– Add on July 7 at coastal WFOs

• Watch Extensions in Area (Adding Counties)

– Added in May

• Service Backup

– Successfully test backup of WCNs

• Valid Time Event Code (Revised Specification Pending)

– Switched to the revised specification in May

– “E” code for all WCNs

• Marine Zones

– Add on July 7 at coastal WFOs

• Watch Extensions in Area (Adding Counties)

– Added in May

Watch County Notification Message

Watch County Notification Message

WWUS62 KCHS 190926

WCNCHS

EXPERIMENTAL...WATCH COUNTY NOTIFICATION FOR WATCH 966

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC

419 AM EST WED NOV 19 2003

THIS WATCH COUNTY NOTIFICATION PRODUCT IS AN EXPERIMENTAL PRODUCT

BEING ISSUED IN ADDITION TO OUR SEVERE WEATHER PRODUCTS.

GAC029-031-043-051-103-109-165-179-183-191-251-267-SCC005-013-029-

049-053-191500-

/E.NEW.KCHS.TO.A.0966.031119T0920Z-031119T1500Z/

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED TORNADO WATCH 966 UNTIL 1000

AM EST WEDNESDAY MORNING FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS…

IN SOUTHEAST GEORGIA

BRYAN BULLOCH CANDLER

CHATHAM EFFINGHAM EVANS

JENKINS LIBERTY LONG

MCINTOSH SCREVEN TATTNALL

IN SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA

ALLENDALE BEAUFORT COLLETON

HAMPTON JASPER

INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CLAXTON...DARIEN...HALFMOON LANDING...

HINESVILLE...LUDOWICI...METTER...MILLEN...PEMBROKE...REIDSVILLE...

SAVANNAH...SPRINGFIELD...STATESBORO...SYLVANIA...TOWNSEND...

WILMINGTON...WILMINGTON ISLAND...ALLENDALE...BEAUFORT...EDISTO

BEACH...HAMPTON...HILTON HEAD ISLAND...RIDGELAND AND WALTERBORO

$$

2004 WBC Milestones 2004 WBC Milestones

Milestone Date

New WWA Design Alpha Testing May – September

Add Marine Zones to WOUs and WCNs July 7

Add VTEC to WOUs July 7

Second OT+E ( 18 Alpha Sites) September – October

Expand WBC Testing to all CONUS WFOs September

Implement WBC February 2005

Implementation Issue 1 Implementation Issue 1

• Issue: Expanding WBC Testing to the remaining WFOs in CONUS

• Background: Around 100 WFOs will begin issuing WCNs by end of September. These offices will receive national teletraining in July and local “hands on” training in August.

• Impacts:

– Limited real time convective watch opportunities from September to February

– Potential WCN errors in early 2005 as WFOs learn on the go with WBC and WFO software

• Issue: Expanding WBC Testing to the remaining WFOs in CONUS

• Background: Around 100 WFOs will begin issuing WCNs by end of September. These offices will receive national teletraining in July and local “hands on” training in August.

• Impacts:

– Limited real time convective watch opportunities from September to February

– Potential WCN errors in early 2005 as WFOs learn on the go with WBC and WFO software

Implementation Issue 2 Implementation Issue 2

• Issue: Transition from the Legacy Convective Watch Products (SEV/SLS/SPS) to Watch By County (WOU/WCN)

• Background: The Watch By County suite of products replaces the existing convective watch products.

• Question: How should the NWS execute the transition from the legacy watch products to the WBC products with minimal impact to both customers and our offices?

• Options

– Partners accepted a 30 day service overlap with operational legacy and WBC products – January Partners Workshop in Seattle

– Discontinue legacy products on March 8, 2005

• Issue: Transition from the Legacy Convective Watch Products (SEV/SLS/SPS) to Watch By County (WOU/WCN)

• Background: The Watch By County suite of products replaces the existing convective watch products.

• Question: How should the NWS execute the transition from the legacy watch products to the WBC products with minimal impact to both customers and our offices?

• Options

– Partners accepted a 30 day service overlap with operational legacy and WBC products – January Partners Workshop in Seattle

– Discontinue legacy products on March 8, 2005

Reminder Reminder

• Watch By County Provides an Orderly Process for Convective Watches from the Time of Issuance Until Cancellation

– National (WOU) and Local (WCN) Products Linked by Software

– VTEC Event Tracking Number Provides Easy Identification of all Products for one or More Watches

• Existing Convective Watch Product Suite Does Not Meet Your Needs

– Limited Number of Customers use the SPS for Watch “Clearing” Information

– SLS Information Often Does Not Match National Product Information

• Watch By County Provides an Orderly Process for Convective Watches from the Time of Issuance Until Cancellation

– National (WOU) and Local (WCN) Products Linked by Software

– VTEC Event Tracking Number Provides Easy Identification of all Products for one or More Watches

• Existing Convective Watch Product Suite Does Not Meet Your Needs

– Limited Number of Customers use the SPS for Watch “Clearing” Information

– SLS Information Often Does Not Match National Product Information

Legacy System vs. WBC Legacy System vs. WBC

Legacy Watch System Watch By County

The End

Question or Comments?

The End

Question or Comments?