WIGOS Transition — U.S. Challenges and Impacts as the International Community Transitions from Legacy WMO Identifiers to a WIGOS Identifiers for All Surface-Based Observing Platforms

To further advance NWP analysis and forecasting skill of the earth system elements, observing networks must shift from isolated/discrete/stove-piped observing networks where data are difficult to exchange to more integrated observing networks that encompass and allow for the exchange of quality observational data between National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs), academia, commercial/private enterprise, and Research & Development. Unfortunately, many legacy meta-data catalogues that were used when exchanging observations formatted using Traditional Alphanumeric Codes severely limited the amount of observational data that could be exchanged. For example, the number of synoptic and radiosonde land stations that could be registered within the WMO Pub.9, Volume A, “Observing Stations and WMO Catalog of Radio-sondes” was constrained by the limited number of unique 5-digit WMO station IDs which indirectly constrained the amount of observational data that could be exchanged internationally. The only way to extend the number of and allow for the expected future growth in observing stations/networks would be to terminate the use of 5-digit WMO station IDs and create a completely new methodology of assigning unique identifiers to observing platforms for international observational data exchange.

In order to set up this new system of identifiers as well as accomplish other goals, the WMO and its co-sponsored observing systems are transitioning to WIGOS (WMO Integrated Global Observing System). WIGOS provides a common framework for all sources of observations (research, operational, public and private) and provides: 1) a one-stop shop for all observing systems metadata (WIGOS Information Resource to include the OSCAR databases using the new system of identifiers), 2) identification of observing system gaps and/or observing system over-saturation due to overlapping observing systems operated by disparate entities within the same geographic location (WIGOS Rolling Review of Requirements (RRR)) , and 3) better/known quality observations via the WIGOS Data Quality Monitoring System.

The WIGOS transition entered its “Pre-operational Phase” in May 2016 and the OSCAR (Observing Systems Capability Analysis and Review)/Surface was launched. OSCAR/Surface replaced WMO Pub.9, Volume A, “Observing Stations and WMO Catalog of Radiosondes”. As part of this transition, WIGOS Station Identifiers, whose structure consists of four sections of alpha-numeric values, replaced the traditional 5-digit station IDs within OSCAR/Surface.

This presentation will examine how this transition alone poses significant challenges for both observational data providers and data users, since use of the legacy 5-digit WMO station IDs in many cases is hard-coded into software used for processing, transmitting, decoding, assimilating and visualizing the observational data. Additionally, based on current WMO guidance, the WMO expects that all its Members will be “WIGOS-Ready” as WIGOS transitions from the “Pre-operational” phase to the “Operational” phase by early 2019. By this time, the WMO expects that all its Members have (at a minimum) implemented OSCAR, WIGOS Station IDs, WIGOS metadata and WIGOS Data Quality Monitoring at a National level. As part of the overall WIGOS transition plan, the WMO deliberately divested the maintenance of observing station metadata (to include issuing new station IDs) and pushed this responsibility to the Member nations and tasked them to develop their own national WIGOS implementation strategy. This presentation will address several of the challenges/issues OFCM members have faced while attempting to implement/maintain WIGOS metadata within OSCAR/Surface as well as develop a comprehensive national WIGOS ID strategy for new and existing observing platforms own/operated by multiple agencies within the U.S. Finally, WMO recently established a Task Team on WIGOS Station Identifiers (TT-WSI) and tasked it to develop and implement a global transition plan in coordination with the WIGOS Project Office. This presentation will examine the latest guidance from that Task Team as well as concerns from the international community.