An Introduction to the Storm Monitor and Analysis Program

A best practice frequently noted in service assessments of severe weather events is situational awareness of the near storm environment. This presentation will introduce the Storm Monitor and Analysis Program, developed as a tool for local weather offices to monitor severe weather potential. This UNIX-based software is designed to accept both observed and forecast data, such as surface weather observations, WSR-88D Velocity/Azimuth Display Wind Profiles, and thermodynamic parameters from the Rapid Refresh model, to provide a continuous weather watch of severe weather potential. The Analysis Program provides updated monitoring of wind shear, thermodynamic and composite parameters. The Storm Monitor uses color codes to highlight parameters that meet or exceed specified thresholds.

A forecaster can display a hodograph of a wind profile by clicking on the station identifier. The hodograph is interactive and allows the user to modify the wind speed, wind direction and storm motion. The ability to easily display and modify the wind profile gives the forecaster a useful tool to monitor the near-storm environment, thereby increasing situational awareness.