Weather Event Simulator: Archived Data Playback for AWIPS-2

In the fall and winter of 2015, staff at the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies (CIMMS) at the University of Oklahoma in conjunction with the Warning Decision Training Division (WDTD) of the National Weather Service (NWS) released archived data playback capabilities for AWIPS-2 to NWS field offices and regional headquarters locations.  This WES-2 Bridge software (Weather Event Simulator for AWIPS-2) is intended as a bridge until playback capability is included in the baseline software packages of AWIPS-2. 

The WES-2 Bridge software uses data sets (“cases”) generated by the archiver component of AWIPS-2 that was developed by Raytheon Technology Services with guidance by CIMMS/WDTD and the AWIPS Program Office of the NWS.  WES-2 Bridge includes both case review (user-selected time access through cases) and simulation capabilities (time-ordered access in either displaced-real time or interval-based simulations).

This paper describes the design, implementation, and deployment of WES-2 Bridge across the NWS.  Particular use-cases are discussed, including applications of both laboratory-based multi-user simulations of the severe convective warning process plus individual severe weather, winter weather and hydrometorological event scenarios deployed in NWS field offices.  Plans for future development are also presented.