Extended Abstract (204K)P2.13
An on-demand user interface for requesting multi-radar, multi-sensor time accumulated products to support severe weather verification
Kevin L. Manross, CIMMS/Univ. of Oklahoma and NOAA/NSSL, Norman, OK; and T. M. Smith, J. T. Ferree, and G. J. Stumpf
NSSL has a long history of developing radar based applications and algorithms intended to aid forecasters in warning decision making. With the advent of the WDSSII system, new and more robust algorithms are being developed in short amounts of time. Thanks to the GIS-based Google Earth application, NSSL has been able to display real-time algorithm output via the World Wide Web for feedback on these algorithms. As a result, many of these algorithms have not only proven useful and accurate, but also popular, particularly in short-term post-event storm survey and verification situations. Time accumulated Maximum Expected Size of Hail ("MESH") and time accumulated radar detected maximum low-altitude rotational shear ("Rotation Tracks") are two products that seem to be particularly useful. The latter has been used to aid forecasters in tornado damage surveys performed by National Weather Service (NWS) personnel at numerous Weather Service Forecast Offices. Emergency managers may also find these plots useful for disaster response.
Currently these data are continuously being produced on the CONUS scale and are stored in a short term archive (up to one week). For specific events, or by request, the data can be manually reprocessed for smaller regions and short time scales and are occasionally archived indefinitely. A recently funded proposal has allowed for automated, on-demand requests of these products by end-users. Forecasters may specify region-specific GIS-encoded data for requested time periods using a web-based graphical user interface. This paper details this process as well as explaining the user interface.
Supplementary URL: http://ondemand.nssl.noaa.gov
Poster Session 2, IIPS Poster Session II
Wednesday, 23 January 2008, 2:30 PM-4:00 PM, Exhibit Hall B
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