Advanced Forecaster Tools for Workflow Efficinency using Web Based Transactions

IPS MeteoStar, Inc (IPSM) in conjunction with Air Force Weather Agency is exploring advanced technologies to streamline forecaster workflow efficiency, automate forecast production, and automatically assess issued product validity. A new data-centric interface will allow the operational forecaster, based on a pre-configured workflow, to directly manipulate the forecast-significant data fields through an intuitive interface. The supporting infrastructure will generate a configurable set of products including Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts, Watch, Warning, and Advisory Bulletins, 5-day Forecasts, and graphical forecast maps. These will subsequently be quality controlled and published. The supporting infrastructure will also maintain awareness of critical product parameters during its valid time. If new observed or forecast conditions exceed the parameter's threshold during the valid period then the forecaster will receive notification to revise their product.

Key new technologies explored in this development include an intuitive data-centric forecaster interface, a product creation rules engine, and transactional web services.

- The forecaster interface will allow the forecaster to "4-dimensionally" interact with the data in their product generation process. Focusing on the data, vice product creation, keeps the forecaster engaged in the conditions of their responsible region and emphasizes contiguous spatial and temporal evolution of the significant weather conditions within their forecast. This also intrinsically allows the forecaster to focus on the timing and severity of higher impact weather features while excepting as-is the low-impact nominal conditions.

- Product creation from the forecaster modified data requires a complex set of rules to interpret the conditions into text and graphical products. These rules will also be used to monitor the issued products against new conditions for product validity. Fast evaluation and access is a key component of this technology.

- Transactional web services provide a standards-based robust bridge between the user interface and data stores. The transactional component of the web service allows modified data to be uniquely stored and queried. The web service will be developed around Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) request/response standards and be extended, as necessary, to handle new transactional methods.

The interface and supporting infrastructure will be iteratively developed, starting with a limited functionality prototype that focuses on the key technologies and trade-offs to the facilitate the future component implementations. A key trade-off will be considering the viability of the forecaster interface being entirely web-browser based.