Plans for Exchanging Graphical Objects in AWIPS and NAWIPS

The National Centers for Environmental Predication (NCEP) forecast centers create a suite of graphic, grid and text products using the National Centers AWIPS (N-AWIPS). Many of these products are disseminated to the local forecast offices AWIPS workstations as grid and text products. However, currently, there is no mechanism for Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs) and River Forecast Centers (RFCs) to ingest, display and manipulate NCEP forecaster generated graphic products, such as surface analyses, on their AWIPS workstations. The AWIPS program is developing a plan to create graphical products using an Extensible Markup Language (XML) to enhance forecaster collaboration among NCEP centers, WFOs and RFCs. Eventually, the XML based format will enable agencies outside the NWS to more easily display NWS forecaster generated graphic products in their systems. This paper presents an overview of the plan.