Inside Information: A New NWS Communication Tool and its Benefits to the Warning System Kristine Kahanek KTVT-TV Fort Worth, TX Gary Woodall NWS Forecast Office Fort Worth, TX

Coordination Products Warning Decision Update and Significant Weather Update Originally developed by WFO Norman, OK M. Foster, D. Andra, R. Smith WDU - “Area Forecast Discussion” for warning operations – WMO header FLUS74 KFWD SWU – Strong but non-svr storms, or downstream “heads up” for svr storms – WMO header WWUS84 KFWD Typically issued by “Warning Coordinator” Issued every minutes, staffing and resources permitting

Warning Decision Update AREA WEATHER UPDATE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 355 PM CDT WED JUL …WARNING DECISION UPDATE FOR NORTH TEXAS… CLUSTER OF TSTMS CONTS JUST AHEAD OF MID LEVEL CONVECTIVE VORT MAX OVER CORYELL/BOSQUE COUNTIES. VOL-Z SUGGESTS HVY RAIN/POSSIBLY SOME SMALL HAIL. DESPITE WARM TEMPS/RICH MOISTURE AHEAD OF STORMS AND DECENT SURFACE INFLOW…THEY HAVE HAD A DIFFICULT TIME SUSTAINING STRONG UPDRAFTS. POSSIBLY DUE TO WEAK STORM-RELATIVE MID-LEVEL WINDS. WITH ANOTHER HOUR OR SO OF HEATING…WILL NEED TO MONITOR THESE STORMS FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT. WOODALL THIS IS AN EXPERIMENTAL PRODUCT MEANT TON INCREASE INFORMATION EXCHANGE ON THE STORM SCALE DURING WARNING OPERATIONS…AND MAY NOT BE ISSUED DURING EVERY WARNING EVENT.

June 1, 2004 Synoptic Setup L Distinct dryline/mesolow over NW Texas Subtle outflow boundary E-SE from mesolow Moist axis at surface and 850 mb 35 kt winds from northwest at 500 mb 90-kt winds from west at 200 mb

KFWD Skew-T, 00Z 6/2/04 CAPE: 3936 j/kg LI: KM SREH: 201 m2/s2 Extreme instability Modest mid-level winds Weak surface winds Pronounced veering Favored HP supercells

Satellite Loop/Surface Obs 2:30 PM To 3:30 PM

WDU – 3:28 PM CDT “TCU/CB DEVELOPING ALONG DRYLINE. LOW LEVEL WINDS FAIRLY WEAK BUT EXTREME INSTABILITY… CAPES SUGGESTS STORMS WILL GO SVR QUICKLY. GIANT HAIL AND AT LEAST A MINIMAL TORNADO POTENTIAL WILL EXIST…STORMS WHICH PROPAGATE ALONG BOUNDARY W-S OF METROPLEX WILL HAVE INCREASED TORNADO POTENTIAL. STORMS INITIALLY IN ENVIRONMENT WITH 40+ T/TD SPREADS…SUGGESTING DOWNBURSTS/HAIL PRIMARY THREATS. TORNADO THREAT MAY INCRS IF/AS STORMS MOVE INTO HIGHER TD AIR AND LOWER CLOUD BASES.”

Fort Worth WSR-88D Loop 4:20 PM To 4:40 PM

Fort Worth WSR-88D 4-Panel 4:40 PM

WDU – 4:40 PM CDT “SVR MULTICELL CLUSTER STORMS OVER COMANCHE/ ERATH CO. STORMS WILL BE MOVING INTO AN INCREASINGLY MOIST/UNSTABLE AIRMASS THROUGH 600 PM…WHICH SHOULD ALSO RESULT IN LOWER CLOUD BASES. VOL-Z SUGGESTS INCH HAIL BUT ALGORITHMS SEEM TO BE OVERESTIMATING HAIL SIZE SLIGHTLY. STORMS ARE MOVING INTO A LOCAL INSTABILITY MAX AND SREH FAVORABLE FOR SOME STORM ROTATION. ALSO WILL HAVE TO WATCH CAREFULLY STORMS APRCHG OLD BOUNDARY W-S OF METROPLEX.”

Fort Worth WSR-88D Loop 5:45 PM To 8:59 PM

Fort Worth WSR-88D Loop 5:35 PM To 5:55 PM

Fort Worth WSR-88D 4-Panel 5:50 PM

WDU – 5:57 PM CDT “STMS W AND SW OF METROPLEX MOVING INTO MORE MOIST AIRMASS. WILL WATCH STORM MOVG INTO HOOD CO ESPECIALLY CLOSELY AS IT MAY BE PROPAGATING ALONG OLD BOUNDARY. STORM OVER HAMILTON HAS IMPRESSIVE VOL-Z SUPPORTING GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL. LEFT-MOVER OVER N PARKER MOVING TOWARD WISE CO HAS BROAD ANTICYCLONIC ROTATION AT MID LEVELS. STM MAY HAVE A BIGGER SVR WIND THREAT DUE TO FASTER FORWARD MOTION.”

KTVT Video ~ 6:02 PM CDT

KTVT Video ~6:18 PM CDT

KTVT Video ~ 6:25 PM CDT

View From Parker County Looking West Photo: Mike Theiss

6:59 PM To 7:24 PM Fort Worth WSR-88D Loop

Fort Worth WSR-88D 4-Panel 7:19 PM

WDU – 7:25 PM CDT “WISE/JACK CO STORM STILL HAS LARGE CORE AND VOL-Z STRUCTURE SUGGESTING AT LEAST GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL…SE ACCELERATION MAY RESULT IN FORWARD-PROPAGATING CLUSTER…WHICH WILL REDUCE TORNADO THREAT BUT PERHAPS INCREASE DAMAGING WIND THREAT. SMALLER STORM OVER DENTON CO HAS ANTICYCLONIC ROTATION…ASSISTING WITH UPDRAFT STRENGTH/HAIL PRODUCTION. 00Z KFWS RAOB SHOWS…PRONOUNCED VEERING WHICH MAY CONTINUE SVR THREAT NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS.”

Fort Worth WSR-88D Loop 7:54 PM To 8:19 PM

Fort Worth WSR-88D 4-Panel 8:19 PM

WDU – 8:18 PM CDT “HP SUPERCELL OVER N PARKER CONTS TRACKING SLOWLY SE. VOL-Z SUGGESTS LARGER THAN GOLFBALL HAIL AND SPOTTERS SUPPORT THIS. STORM MAY BE TRACKING ALONG OLD BOUNDARY…STORMS HAVE MODERATE-STRONG MID-LEVEL ROTATION… SOME CONVERGENCE ALONG SOUTH FLANKS AS WELL. ENVIRONMENT CONTS FAVORABLE FOR STORM ROTATION WITH VEERING WIND PROFILE AND STRONG INSTABILITY.”

IM vs. WDU Immediate access for a group of users Two-way communication and feedback Accessible by a wider array of users Greater detail and depth of discussion possible More of a time/workload commitment No means of direct feedback A market exists for both coordination methods!

Summary/Conclusions WDUs close the “information gap” between the NWS’ thoughts and their public products WDUs provide detailed analysis for use by EMC and media staffs who may not have time for their own analyses WDUs can contain spotter reports which can be quickly relayed to viewers and warning officials WDUs help ensure a consistent warning message

Questions? Contact Us! Gary Woodall National Weather Service 3401 Northern Cross Blvd. Fort Worth, TX Internet: Kristine Kahanek KTVT-TV P.O. Box 2495 Fort Worth, TX Internet: