The Warning Decision Support System was developed by NSSL in the mid-1990s in order to test algorithms on a real-time WSR-88D datastream. The WDSS provided a workstation to ingest WSR-88D data, a workstation to perform algorithm processing, and a workstation dedicated to the display of the data. The algorithms and displays were tested and used in several NWS Forecast Offices and other locations under varying situations. The WDSS was used to test several algorithms, which were eventually implemented in the operational WSR-88D Radar Product Generator (RPG). Other WDSS display concepts have been implemented in AWIPS and other display systems.

The efforts undertaken with WDSS were very effective in enhancing the capabilities of algorithms developed at NSSL and elsewhere. But disparate data sources and formats could not be handled by the design of the WDSS software and algorithms could not truly integrate the data. Several years ago NSSL began developing a more robust version of WDSS that is capable of integrating multiple sources of atmospheric data (called the Warning Decision Support System – Integrated Information, or WDSS-II). This new system has already been used to develop new multi-sensor, multi-source algorithms and integrate data from other weather sensors and model outputs.

This paper and presentation will highlight examples of how the capabilities of WDSS-II have been used to develop new algorithms that incorporate data from multiple radars and other data sources. The paper will also describe various tools that have been developed to handle various forms of data (especially radar data).