NWS Digital Services 1 Digital Services Update and Forecast Collaboration March 16, 2004 Shannon White Training Division

NWS Digital Services 2 Status of Grids NWS will issue a PNS by March 31 notifying partners/customers that comment period has been extended for all elements through at least June 30 NWS Director will make decision on NDFD IOC –Which elements –What date

NWS Digital Services 3 Digital Services Project Office Five action teams have been formed to address issues in digital services operations –Kickoff meetings this week –Representatives on each team from HQ and regions –Will develop plans to fix problems across all aspects of the program These plans will be presented to the Operations sub committee of the Corporate Board on May 5

NWS Digital Services 4 Operations Action Team Charge: “Develop an action plan to:” 1.Compile an Operations Requirements Document for Digital Services utilizing output from the action teams and using the new requirements process. 2.Create a new Digital Services policy and directive structure and incorporate new digital services Concept of Operations. 3.Implement a process for gathering objective workload data. 4.Ensure workload is sustainable for long-term (i.e. maintain training, outreach, overall quality of NWS services and situational awareness). 5.Re-examine NCEP’s role in the new paradigm. 6.Examine current directive system and legacy products to evaluate which products and directives can be streamlined to decrease forecaster workload. Involve partners and customers in dialogue. 7.Prepare best practices concepts and strategies for implementing culture change to ensure best practices are implemented 8.Provide input to PPBES team SR rep – Jack Settelmaier (Melinda is alternate)

NWS Digital Services 5 Assessment Action Team Charge: “Develop an action plan to:” 1.Implement a verification capability culminating in a gridded system and analysis of record. 2.Improve forecaster use of verification site. 3.Develop and publicize verification data on web site to partners and customers. 4.Develop standards for what constitutes an acceptable forecast. 5.Examine quality assurance capabilities. 6.Analyze customer and partner feedback and satisfaction on digital services. 7.Provide input to PPBES team SR Rep – Mike Coyne

NWS Digital Services 6 Systems and Communications Action Team Charge: “Develop an action plan to:” 1.Ensure long-term data retention of official products. 2.Ensure customer and partners have access to NDFD grids in formats easily used. 3.Ensure external communications and dissemination systems, with requisite support structure, are sufficient to meet user needs. 4.Ensure customer support system meet requirements. 5.Ensure enhancements to system capabilities are implemented to meet forecaster needs. 6.Ensure end-to-end AWIPS processing and communications systems are sufficient to meet forecaster needs. 7.Ensure communication delivery schedules, software, and hardware are in sync with service requirements. 8.Provide input to PPBES team SR Rep – Paul Kirkwood (Eric H. is alternate)

NWS Digital Services 7 Outreach and Training Action Team Charge: “Develop an action plan to:” 1.Ensure NSTEP process fully reflects needs for NWS Digital Service training. 2.Educate customers and partners on access to and attributes of digital data. 3. Develop and implement a Digital Services customer awareness and feedback (marketing) strategy. 4. Distribute CONOPS to customers by methods such as , web site and publish pamphlets. 5. Write article on CONOPS for NWS FOCUS. 6. Provide input to PPBES team SR Rep – Walt Zaleski

NWS Digital Services 8 Program Planning (PPBES) Action Team Charge: “Develop an action plan to:” 1. Develop program plan through FY 2011 for input to the Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution System (PPBES). Plan must at a minimum address the following areas: -Incorporate AHPS and all Digital Services -Expand NDFD to include observations and probabilistic grids -Incorporate all action team program plans -Incorporate user needs, and anticipated access and dissemination technologies -Incorporate Geographic Information System technologies -Compatible with existing NOAA Information Technology plans

NWS Digital Services 9 Organization NWS Digital Services (DS) DS Project Office Action Teams (OCWWS DS Team in All) 1. Operations 2. Assessment 3. Systems and Communications 4. Training and Outreach 5. Program Planning Remaining Teams Internet Services Technology Steering Smart tool Rapid Prototype Group Formatter Group IFPS Executive Committee Training Team Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Services (AHPS) Team Advisory Interactive Forecast Preparation System (IFPS) Science Steering Team Science & Technology Committee Operations Committee

NWS Digital Services 10 Collaboration Collaboration with National Centers –HPC –NESDIS SAB –SPC –TAFB –OPC QPF New tool to aid in collaborating wind fields in a tropical cyclone - Covered! Discussion/Questions

NWS Digital Services 11 Working with NCEP HPC –Available 24/7 (in 12Planet and phone) –Short and medium range forecast problems NESDIS Satellite Analysis Branch –New to 12Planet (nesdis_sab) –Satellite precip estimates –QPF –Other satellite interrogation or heavy precip issues SPC –Available on limited basis –Day 1 and day 2 convective outlooks

NWS Digital Services 12 Working with NCEP - Marine About 6 months since OPC and TAFB started participating in 12Planet –OPC in main NWS_Collaborate room –TAFB started in separate Marine room Main purpose is to collaborate on needed/desired headlines in marine products Questions – is it working and what can improve??

NWS Digital Services 13 QPF Don’t forget about hpc_qpf1 in 12Planet! –Years of experience in forecasting QPF What QPF are we doing? –Spatially averaged over storm area –Local effects added where applicable You know where sea breezes are favorable Use tools such as lightning and precip climo –HPC has no tie to PoP Forecast what they believe will mirror the analysis (likely?) –Currently WFOs have tie to 15% PoP Should that change?

NWS Digital Services 14 Questions? Comments?