1. GFE - OPC Status and Overview TPC/NHC optimized WNOR side for OPC GFE usage – 12.5 km grids – 2 domains - Atlantic and Pacific covering High Seas, Offshores, and graphical product needs – OFF text formatter set up Forecasters have “played” with to see results and offered conments Optimize over next several months Training – Forecaster familiarity and functionality – No way to apply knowledge in day to day function (hit a road block)

2. Domains 12.5 km resolution – do not differentiate between OFF and High Seas - meets needs of present graphical suite

3. Signed by Ming Aug 17, 2009 Addresses support processing for forecasters to be able to: generate gridded fields in GFE transpose and transfer files to N-AWIPS (netCDF to GEMPAK) assemble graphical forecast products from GFE generated gridded output transmit 00, 24, 48, 72, 120 hour ocean scale grids and graphics GFE offshore text formatter adaptation SLP, waves, wind capable now GFE to N-AWIPS (background) (processing being hardened) VG files and instructions in initial form pieces in place to assemble present graphical products Will allow forecasters to gain proficiency while on shift Training as capabilities become available Timeline – Completion May 4, 2010 GFE Transition Plan

4. GFE /AWIPS/AWIPS2 Issues Current WWB AWIPS set up (WNOR and WNOW) – Can it handle OPC and HPC GFE usage? Redundancy (upgrades, failures) Backup (TAFB, HFO) AWIPS2 requirements document in draft form to NCO – System configuration and hardware AWIPS vs AWIPS2?

5. GFE not the full solution Analysis products (TIME CONSUMING) – Surface (Unified, 8 ocean products daily) Gridded in post processing via GEMPAK GRPHGD – Sea state (wave heights) 16 regional scales per day (4 daily with TAFB) 2 ocean scale per day Adapted (from EMC MMAB) Optimum Interpolation technique to perform analyses – Sea state first Forecasters QC observations and enhance areas of interest via “bogus” points In future will still need to view / overlay obs, draw features, annotate

6. Optimum Interpolation for Sea State Analyses Retains NWW3 where NWW3 is needed Requires “QC” of ships, fixed buoys hardwired Can bogus points, no line editing Radius of influence ~ 180 nm Adapting for SLP analysis MWW3 OI_MWW3#

7. Optimum Interpolation for Sea State Ship and bogus VGf NWW3_WNA OI_WNA OI_WNA_SHIPS

8. Issue – Winds consistent with SLP and vice versa CSTAR with University of Washington PBL Group – Indirect mode – SLP retrieval from OSVW – Direct mode – Winds from forecaster SLP Being improved at this time – issues with closure in areas of strong cold advection – Wind speeds too high in areas of tight gradients Has potential to provide a fully consistent wind field!

9. Unclear Parameters SLP, wind (u,v), HTSGW – Next Air temp, SST, Weather, VSBY, Td, freezing spary – Future Ocean current? Additional wave parameters? Ensemble based probabilities? – Wind speeds, low positions, wave heights, etc High Seas formatter Offshore Zones (are zones too large?) When fully transition?