Generating watches, warnings, and advisories using Interactive Forecast Preparation

The Techniques Development Laboratory has been developing and testing Interactive Forecast Preparation (IFP) techniques since 1985, and is now in the process of deploying them within the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS) nationwide. IFP techniques enable a forecaster to interactively prepare digital forecasts of weather elements from which many products can be automatically composed and formatted. This allows the forecaster to concentrate on the meteorological situation and spend less time typing numerous products for dissemination. The common digital database used to generate these products also allows for more consistent forecasts over time and among products, and for easier monitoring and maintenance of those forecasts.

This paper describes components of the IFP system used by forecasters to issue watches, warnings, and advisories (WWA). Storm information can be queried from the IFP system digital database (e.g., recommended Winter Storm Warning) and, in the future, from the AWIPS System for Convective Analysis and Nowcasting. Recommended actions are graphically displayed along with all WWAs which are currently in effect locally and at adjacent offices. The forecaster has the option to convert the recommendations to actual WWAs, issue new WWAs, cancel current WWAs, or clear portions of current WWAs. The WWA component of IFP is currently being integrated with other AWIPS data display and warning generation tools.