Watch By County Status Update

1
Watch By County Status Update

• NWS Partners Workshop
• June 24, 2004

Mark Tew Fire and Public Weather Services
Branch Office of Climate, Water and Weather
Services
2
Overview

• Recent Watch By County History
• SPC Software Development
• WFO Software Development
• 2004 WBC Milestones
• Implementation Issues
• Reminder

3
Recent Watch By County History

• Initial Watch Outline Update Message Became an
  Operational Product on January 6
• Internal Test of WFO WBC Software in March
• Select WFOs Issuing WCNs on an Experimental
  Basis.
• 18 WFOs by mid July
• WOUs are now the NWSs Primary County Based
  Convective Watch Product

4
SPC Software Development

• Service Backup
• Successfully tested backup of initial WOUs
• Will test backup of hourly update and final WOUs
  in September
• Valid Time Event Code (Revised Specification
  Pending)
• Use Revised Specification
• Add to WOUs on July 7
• X code for initial WOUs
• E code for hourly update and final WOUs
• Marine Zones
• Add on July 7

5
Watch Outline Update Message
OUS64 KWNS 022245 BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST
REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH OUTLINE
UPDATE FOR WS 387 NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER
NORMAN OK 550 PM CDT WED JUN 2 2004 SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WATCH 387 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1200
AM CDT FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS OKC141-030500-
OK . OKLAHOMA COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE TILLMAN
TXC001-009-023-035-059-085-093-113
-119-121-133-139-143-151-155- 161-193-197-207-213-
217-221-223-231-237-251-253-257-275-289-293- 309-3
49-353-363-367-379-397-417-425-429-439-441-447-467
-485-487- 497-503-030500- TX . TEXAS COUNTIES
INCLUDED ARE ANDERSON ARCHER
BAYLOR BOSQUE
CALLAHAN COLLIN COMANCHE
DALLAS DELTA
DENTON EASTLAND ELLIS
ERATH FISHER
FOARD FREESTONE
HAMILTON HARDEMAN HASKELL
HENDERSON HILL
HOOD HOPKINS
HUNT JACK
JOHNSON JONES KAUFMAN
KNOX LEON
LIMESTONE MCLENNAN
NAVARRO NOLAN
PALO PINTO PARKER RAINS
ROCKWALL SHACKELFORD
SOMERVELL STEPHENS
TARRANT TAYLOR
THROCKMORTON VAN ZANDT WICHITA
WILBARGER WISE
YOUNG ATTN...WFO...OUN...FWD.
..SJT...
6
WFO Software Development

• Service Backup
• Successfully test backup of WCNs
• Valid Time Event Code (Revised Specification
  Pending)
• Switched to the revised specification in May
• E code for all WCNs
• Marine Zones
• Add on July 7 at coastal WFOs
• Watch Extensions in Area (Adding Counties)
• Added in May

7
Watch County Notification Message
WWUS62 KCHS 190926 WCNCHS EXPERIMENTAL...WATCH
COUNTY NOTIFICATION FOR WATCH 966 NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 419 AM EST WED NOV
19 2003 THIS WATCH COUNTY NOTIFICATION PRODUCT
IS AN EXPERIMENTAL PRODUCT BEING ISSUED IN
ADDITION TO OUR SEVERE WEATHER PRODUCTS. GAC029-0
31-043-051-103-109-165-179-183-191-251-267-SCC005-
013-029- 049-053-191500- /E.NEW.KCHS.TO.A.0966.031
119T0920Z-031119T1500Z/ THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE HAS ISSUED TORNADO WATCH 966 UNTIL
1000 AM EST WEDNESDAY MORNING FOR THE FOLLOWING
AREAS IN SOUTHEAST GEORGIA BRYAN
BULLOCH CANDLER CHATHAM
EFFINGHAM EVANS JENKINS
LIBERTY LONG MCINTOSH
SCREVEN TATTNALL IN SOUTHEAST
SOUTH CAROLINA ALLENDALE BEAUFORT
COLLETON HAMPTON
JASPER INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CLAXTON...DARIEN
...HALFMOON LANDING... HINESVILLE...LUDOWICI...MET
TER...MILLEN...PEMBROKE...REIDSVILLE... SAVANNAH..
.SPRINGFIELD...STATESBORO...SYLVANIA...TOWNSEND...
WILMINGTON...WILMINGTON ISLAND...ALLENDALE...BEAU
FORT...EDISTO BEACH...HAMPTON...HILTON HEAD
ISLAND...RIDGELAND AND WALTERBORO
8
2004 WBC Milestones
Milestone Date
New WWA Design Alpha Testing May September
Add Marine Zones to WOUs and WCNs July 7
Add VTEC to WOUs July 7
Second OTE ( 18 Alpha Sites) September October
Expand WBC Testing to all CONUS WFOs September
Implement WBC February 2005
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Implementation Issue 1

• Issue Expanding WBC Testing to the remaining
  WFOs in CONUS
• Background Around 100 WFOs will begin issuing
  WCNs by end of September. These offices will
  receive national teletraining in July and local
  hands on training in August.
• Impacts
• Limited real time convective watch opportunities
  from September to February
• Potential WCN errors in early 2005 as WFOs learn
  on the go with WBC and WFO software

10
Implementation Issue 2

• Issue Transition from the Legacy Convective
  Watch Products (SEV/SLS/SPS) to Watch By County
  (WOU/WCN)
• Background The Watch By County suite of
  products replaces the existing convective watch
  products.
• Question How should the NWS execute the
  transition from the legacy watch products to the
  WBC products with minimal impact to both
  customers and our offices?
• Options
• Partners accepted a 30 day service overlap with
  operational legacy and WBC products January
  Partners Workshop in Seattle
• Discontinue legacy products on March 8, 2005

11
Reminder

• Watch By County Provides an Orderly Process for
  Convective Watches from the Time of Issuance
  Until Cancellation
• National (WOU) and Local (WCN) Products Linked by
  Software
• VTEC Event Tracking Number Provides Easy
  Identification of all Products for one or More
  Watches
• Existing Convective Watch Product Suite Does Not
  Meet Your Needs
• Limited Number of Customers use the SPS for Watch
  Clearing Information
• SLS Information Often Does Not Match National
  Product Information

12
Legacy System vs. WBC
Legacy Watch System
Watch By County
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The EndQuestion or Comments?