Standard Situational Awareness Displays and WarnGen Test and Practice Modes Michael Dangelo

Standard Situational Awareness Displays and WarnGen Test and Practice Modes

• Michael Dangelo

• Senior Forecaster

• NWS State College, PA (CTP)

• 12 July 2005

• NWS Severe Weather Tech Workshop

The (Perceived) Need for Standard SA Displays

• Many offices have Situational Awareness (SA) Displays, or have begun to adopt them recently, as an outgrowth of the best-practices of the offices in the forefront of Severe Weather Operations, and AWOC.

• A STANDARD SA Display is not part of our AWIPS baseline.

The (Perceived) Need (cont.)

• The offices that do have SA Displays have used local ingenuity and resources to develop these displays.

• SA Displays keep SA of all individuals in the office (WDMs and helpers) high through use of visual cues and (at times) audible alarms and feedback.

Reasons for SA Displays:

• In real-time, any potential Warning Decision-Maker or staff member assisting with Severe Weather Operations can see the valid warnings and threats across their area of responsibility (and beyond?).

• In some cases, real-time verification may be available from outside (media/spotter) sources.

What’s the problem with the way it is done now?

• Each WFO has a different “level” of an SA Display

• None (The norm?)
• Haphazard, locally grown (CTP)
• Elaborate, locally grown (OUN)

• Get everyone up to a similar level

Why we should tie SA Displays to AWIPS (baseline).

• AWIPS already contains ALL of the information for the warning/verification-monitoring part of SA Displays.

• Not all of this information is in the same place in AWIPS, though. – D2D/Local Warnings -- WWA/GHG -- LSR.

• AWIPS is our STANDARD WFO platform, and having this info all tied together on AWIPS would be most logical.

CTP’s SA Display

• One 42” Plasma TV Screen hooked to one windows-networked PC, and to one display screen (0:2) of our workstations (LX4).

• We can switch between the PC and LX via a toggle switch.

Troubles with CTP’s SA Display

• Not convenient

• Must either keep the PC always tuned to the web site (Iowa State) that we use to monitor local warnings (in lieu of AWIPS “Local Warnings” working).

• Use one screen on the LX to display D2D w/radar or WWA/GHG Monitor. (resources & LXs thin in big events)

SA Breakdown Example (June 6th) (Intro)

• We try to employ one forecaster as a Severe Weather Coordinator, but that person is usually not at a LX.

• The coordinator and newly arriving help couldn’t keep current.

• Intra-office and External Coordination both suffer.

SA Breakdown Example (June 6th) (continued)

• “Sectorized” warnings (4 forecasters)

• SA Display not utilized to fullest potential due to lack of resources

• Coordinator could not keep good SA – and did not contact appropriate Counties in a few cases, as the warnings were flying out fast and furious.

• Coordinator could not answer minor questions from those areas that were contacted timely.

SA Breakdown Example (June 6th) (continued)

• Troubles (no notifications and/or poor communication with External contacts) may have been avoided - if the appropriate information was available to the Coordinator via an SA Display

What kind of Info do I want from an AWIPS SA Display?

• Watch and Warning Info, by polygon and with text-time readouts (GHG Monitor?)

• Radar-overlay available (RIDGE)

• LSR info (damage report locations, icons)

• Use D2D? (familiar interface)

• Little Configuration Needed

What kind of Info do I want from an AWIPS SA Display?

Topic #2

• The (perceived) Need for WarnGen Test/Practice Modes

Topic#2: The (perceived) Need for WarnGen Test/Practice Modes

• Forecasters have a real need to practice warnings with the tools they must use (WarnGen (WG)).

• Best done at the workstations – takes little time/attention away from current weather and operations.

• Need to occasionally send TEST msgs.

Topic#2: The (perceived) Need for WarnGen Test/Practice Modes (cont.)

• Don’t we have this?

• A TEST mode is available, but difficult to start and fraught with danger (D2D frozen in time).
• No PRACTICE Mode at all.

• Why every forecaster cannot use it:

• Test mode is difficult to invoke, and not all forecasters (me!) are comfortable with the procedure.

Topic#2: The (perceived) Need for WarnGen Test/Practice Modes (cont.)

• WWA and GHG (as it is being deployed nationally) have these features built in!

• but, only after mishaps occurred

• WarnGen (WG) should have these features, too! It is our PRIMARY WARNING TOOL!

• Forecasters use WG exclusively in Thunderstorm-Warning Mode.

• It should be easy to use – switch available to the forecaster right on the GUI (checkbox or radio boxes) with graphical (colors/pop-ups) feedback on current WG “mode.”

WG Test/Practice modes, Conclusions

• These adjustments to WG would:

• Greatly enhance our ability to train forecasters, and keep them sharp
• Keep SA higher when worrying less about how to make the machine work
• Allow for EASY issuance of TEST messages
• Allow for PRACTICE after local modification of WG templates

Two Ideas, One Goal

• Enhance the operations in the WFO during the busiest time - Warning Decision Making Situations.

• Both “Standard” SA Displays and WG Test/Practice Modes would be moves toward this goal.