Watch Warning Advisory WWA OB3'1 Training

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Watch Warning Advisory (WWA) OB3.1 Training
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Overview

• WWA Basics
• OB3.1 WWA New Features
• Using the New Features
• Things You Need to Know
• Frequently Asked Questions

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WWA Basics
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KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU START!!This
is crucial to the easy and successful creation
of a WWA
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Navigating WWAGeoviewer Menus

• Options Menu
• Can Zoom in or out 1 time
• Can view the map with Zone, County/Parish, or
  Fire Weather areas shown
• Products are set up to default to correct map
• Shifting outlines shows outlines of all active
  hazards
• Topography can be toggled on/off
• UGCs and Names can be toggled on/off
• Topo bounds can be set
• Font size can be set

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Navigating WWAMonitor Window
Click column header to sort in descending order
and again for ascending

• Yellow box indicates that type of hazard is
  displayed in the window
• Number of that hazard type in the database is
  noted
• Includes local WFO and surrounding
• Can choose what is displayed in the window by
  selecting or deselecting the hazard type or local
  WFO
• Color of hazard background indicates its status
• e.g Follow Up indicates a follow up statement is
  needed for the hazard
• Grayed-out actions on the bottom are invalid for
  the selected hazards

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Navigating WWAComposer Window

• Options Menu
• Mode Choose from the list
• Defaults to Active
• Times
• HazBegins Time/date event is forecast to begin
• HazDuration How long event will last
• HazExpires Time/date event is expected to end
• Only one of the 2 above need to be set and the
  other will be adjusted accordingly
• ProdExp Time by which product will need to be
  updated (i.e. purge time)
• Overview/Synopsis Overview for entire product
  (i.e. NPW)
• Descriptive Information particular to this
  hazard segment (i.e. Heat Advisory)

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Navigating WWAMouse Buttons

• Below are only valid in the
• geo-viewer
• Left Mouse Button MB1
• Selects/deselects the county/parish the mouse is
  over
• Middle Mouse Button MB2
• Brings up list of active hazards for the
  county/parish the mouse is over
• Right Mouse Button MB3
• Brings up list of choices for selecting/deselectin
  g an area

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Creating a Hazard

• Click New from the Monitor window
• This opens the Composer window
• Select the Hazard you wish to create from the
  pull down menu
• Hazards are grouped into categories and
  subcategories

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Creating a Hazard, cont

• Set your HazBegins time/day
• Set either HazDuration (i.e. 12 hours) or
  HazExpires time
• ProdExp normally defaults to 6 hours from
  current
• Choose area hazard is expected to affect
• Can select individual counties/parishes, states,
  entire CWA
• States/CWA available via right mouse button over
  map
• Choose appropriate CTA statements
• Select Transmit (single segment) or Save Only
  (multi segment)

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New Features

• Spell Check on Final Product
• New Transmit Window
• Editing locked to just text
• Better determination of Mode
• Upgrades/Downgrades
• Including from one to multiple hazards

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Spell Checker
Click the book to initiate the spell checker
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Using the Spell Checker
At first, the spell check will flag zones,
counties/parishes and cities until you add them
all to the dictionary
Use upper case if you type a word or you can hang
WWA
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New Transmit Window
No editing of the VTEC code, UGC code or
counties/parishes/cities
Editing of the time/date line is no longer
allowed
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New Transmit Window
Product ID of file being sent
Green indicates it will go out to world (Active
and Test Modes) Product you are working
on(regardless of mode)
Yellow indicates practice mode (it will not go
out to world) Product you are working
on(regardless of mode)
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When You Click Send
Click Acknowledge if you wish to continue with
issuing/storing your product
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Upgrade/Downgrade
The ability now exists to do multiple upgrades or
downgrades from one hazard
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Using the New Features
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What is Primed?

• Click New (primed) is shown on many of the
• following slides, so what does it mean?
• Primed means having a hazard selected in the
• Monitor window before clicking New
• The text from that hazard is then available in
  the Overview and Descriptive windows of the new
  hazard
• Very useful when upgrading/downgrading/replacing
  a hazard
• Just prime with the hazard being upgraded,
  downgraded or replaced

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Upgrading One for One

• Click New (primed)
• Select hazard (red flag warning)
• Select area of concern
• Adjust Begins, Expires and ProdExp times
• Click Overview/Synopsis to update the overview
  for the RFW
• Click Descriptive to add the specifics for the
  segment
• Choose any CTA statements
• Click Transmit

Do not need to add headline - it is automatically
added to final product Exceptions are SPS and
other non-warning products
Start with an existing hazard Red Flag Watch in
this case
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Upgrading an Existing WWA
This box will pop up to make sure you want to
upgrade the hazard If you have multiple hazards
in effect, make sure you are upgrading the
correct hazard using the ID number from the
monitor window
The Monitor window will not scroll after
selecting Save Only or Edit Transmit so you
need to note the ID number beforehand
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Clicking the Wrong Choice

• NEVER click the X on a pop up box!
• WWA will crash
• If ID number is not known, just click Yes/No to
  get to transmit window
• Incorrect choice was accidentally selected on the
  prompt box
• When final Transmit window appears, click the red
  X icon
• You are returned to where you selected Transmit
• Click Transmit option again
• Correctly select Yes for the WWA ID of hazard you
  are upgrading

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Transmit the Upgrade

• Proof product, run spell check and send product

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Upgrading One to Multiple

• Click New (primed)
• Select hazard
• Select area of concern
• Adjust Begins, Expires and ProdExp times
• Click Overview/Synopsis to update the overview
  for the NPW
• Click Descriptive to add the specifics for the
  segment
• Choose any CTA statements
• Click Save Only

Upgrading an Excessive Heat Watch with a Warning
SE and Advisory NW
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Upgrading an Existing WWA
This box will pop up after you click Save Only to
make sure you want to upgrade the hazard If you
have multiple hazards in effect, make sure you
are upgrading the correct hazard using the ID
number from the monitor window Repeat the same
steps from the previous slide for the other
hazard(s) - another box will pop up after
clicking Save Only Click Close on the Composer
when ready to create final product (NPW here)
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Create a Segmented Product

• Select /Highlight the Warning, Advisory and Watch
  
• Remember the first chosen will determine the
  Overview used
• Otherwise, order selected does not affect final
  product as WWA orders segments according to
  directives
• Click Transmit
• Note the watch indicates Cancelled with the last
  action as Upgrade
• While it does not affect the text, watch must
  also be selected so when VTEC is turned on, the
  proper code is included

Create the multi-segment NPW
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Create a Segmented Product
Transmit window from OB 3.0 no locks on editing
Proof, run spell check and send product
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Downgrading/Expanding Portion of Hazard

• To expand a hazard, first select that hazard in
  the Monitor window and select Follow Up
• This will bring up the Composer window

Downgrade portion of Freeze Warning to existing
Frost Advisory
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Downgrading/Expanding Portion of Hazard

• Adjust any times as needed
• Expand area to include counties being downgraded
• Update Overview as needed
• Click Descriptive to update the specifics for the
  Advisory
• Click Save Only

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Downgrading/Expanding Portion of Hazard
Downgrade box that pops up after clicking Save
Only on the Advisory
Total area of expanded Frost Advisory in light
blue
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Downgrading/Expanding
Select all NPW segments from the monitor window,
then click Transmit
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Transmit Downgrade

• Headlines indicates the warning is no longer in
  effect but an advisory is
• For a product such as this, 3 segments will
  exist
• Where Advisory replaces Warning (downgrade)
• Remaining Warning
• Remaining Advisory

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Follow-up Tip

• If multiple hazard types are in effect, but are
  issued under one PIL, follow-up all segments,
  then combine and transmit
• NPW hazards are a prime example
• Like previous example Freeze warning, Frost
  advisory and High wind watch in effect across CWA
  at same time
• If one segment is being changed (downgraded,
  etc.), remember to update all segments before
  issuing
• If a segment is forgotten, follow-up all segments
  again and re-issue

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Replacing Like Hazards

• A Snow Advisory is in effect for part of the CWA
• Conditions change and now mixed precipitation is
  forecast for the advisory area plus additional
  counties
• Priming with the existing Snow advisory, create a
  New Winter Weather Advisory which covers the new
  area

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Replacing Like Hazards

• Choose Winter weather Advisory from Hazards menu
• Adjust any times as needed
• Select area of existing Snow advisory and new
  WW advisory counties
• Update Overview as needed
• Click Descriptive to update the specifics for the
  WW Advisory
• Click Transmit
• Choose Yes on the replace box for the correct ID

Note label says Winter Weather - Pop up box
label is the same as Hazard category
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Transmit Replacement

• Product has 2 segments
• One for replacement
• One for new WW Advisory
• Monitor window indicates status of snow advisory
  is cancelled

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Things You Need to Know

• Labels on the Upgrade, Downgrade, and Replace
  boxes are the same as the categories under Watch,
  Warning and Advisory hazard headings
• So do not be fooled look for ID number!
• When clearing or canceling a hazard, the ProdExp
  time is set to a short duration even if other
  segments continue
• Remaining segments should immediately be followed
  up to include a longer ProdExp time
• Insures valid segments are not dropped by
  customers

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Things You Need to Know/FAQ

• It is best to not practice when there are active
  hazards
• If the active hazard is selected, even when in
  Practice Mode, it will switch you to Active Mode
  without you realizing it
• Why did I not get the Overview/Synopsis I
  expected in my final segmented product?
• The Overview/Synopsis of the hazard you click
  first in the WWA Monitor will be the synopsis
  used for the final product

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Frequently Asked Questions

• Why couldnt I create a final Follow-up/Cancel on
  a hazard which is about to expire?
• The hazard must have expired before the
  Follow-up/Cancel was transmitted since WWA only
  permits actions on valid hazards
• Why did CRS neither acknowledge my cancellation
  statement nor drop the WWA I was trying to end?
• Be careful to set your cancellation statement
  ProdExp time enough in the future so that it is
  still valid when CRS receives it or it will not
  play

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Questions/Comments
Contact Shannon White shannon.white_at_noaa.gov or
Greg Noonan gregory.noonan_at_noaa.gov