AWIPS II Application Development - A SPoRT Perspective

The National Weather Service is deploying its next-generation weather forecasting, display and analysis package, called AWIPS II (Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System II). The NASA Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center has developed several software ‘plug-ins' to extend the capabilities of AWIPS II. The SPoRT Center staff will continue its mission of improving short-term forecasts by providing to NWS Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs) NASA and NOAA products that are not included in the standard AWIPS satellite broadcast. Specific examples of SPoRT plug-ins provided to those WFOs with AWIPS II systems will be presented.

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-R) and Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) Proving Grounds engage the NWS forecast and warning community in pre-operational demonstrations of selected capabilities anticipated from the next generation of satellites. Those demonstrations will dominate SPoRT's future AWIPS II activities, including the development of tools and enhancements to existing products. The SPoRT Center recently formed an Experimental Product Development Team, a group of AWIPS II developers from several institutions who support NWS forecasters by providing innovative products. The results of the Team's Fall 2012 meeting will also be presented, along with examples of Research-to-Operations plug-ins, and an update on how software governance issues are being handled by the AWIPS II developer community.