Graphical Hazardous Weather Outlook (GHWO):A Graphical Display of Weather Hazard Risk for IDSS

Visualizing graphical weather hazard risks is essential in supporting the NWS mission to build a Weather-Ready Nation. The goal is to effectively display hazardous weather information that can provide end users, including the public and core partners with diverse needs, with a quick and intuitive quantification of their risks from various weather hazards. The Graphical Hazardous Weather Outlook (GHWO) was developed to aim at achieving that goal, by supporting preparedness and response efforts prior to and during all forms of hazardous weather. It provides decision makers with convenient access to weather hazard information by graphically depicting the risk of all weather hazards utilizing a tiered risk and awareness level scheme.

The graphical GHWO goes beyond the traditional text Hazardous Weather Outlook by displaying risk-based, color-coded alert levels, and on various geographic scales. It brings together all hazard risk displays into one display available on the web. GHWO weather hazard types and risks are derived from weather elements which populate the National Digital Forecast Database (NDFD) and guidance from national centers. The output graphics are currently developed using a series of procedures within the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS) Graphical Forecast Editor (GFE) with future plans to support a more flexible, domain independent geospatial display to enhance the user experience. This developmental approach and process conserves workload and promotes office-to-office continuity. The GHWO also serves to enhance the “Forecaster Decision Support Environment” (FDSE) by enhancing situational awareness, facilitating forecast collaboration and ensuring service consistency.

This presentation will provide an overview of the graphical GHWO, which is now a national experimental service led by the NWS Severe Weather Services program and elaborate on the generation and utility of the GHWO throughout the NWS in support of IDSS.