Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System

Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System
Name	Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System
Caption	A primary system for weather forecasting and analysis within the National Weather Service.
Developer	National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Released	1998
Programming language	C, Fortran
Operating system	Unix
Genre	Meteorology, Data visualization

Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System. It is the cornerstone interactive computer system used by the National Weather Service for analyzing meteorological data, issuing forecasts, and preparing warnings. The system integrates a vast array of observational data from sources like Next Generation Weather Radar and Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite to support operational meteorology. Its development and deployment marked a significant technological leap from previous manual and analog methods, fundamentally changing daily operations at Weather Forecast Office locations across the United States.

Overview

The system serves as the primary human-machine interface for forecasters at the National Weather Service, enabling the manipulation and display of real-time and model data. It processes inputs from national centers like the Storm Prediction Center and the National Hurricane Center to create a unified situational awareness picture. By fusing data from the Automated Surface Observing System and upper-air observations, it provides a comprehensive analysis of atmospheric conditions. This capability is critical for the timely issuance of products concerning severe weather, winter storms, and other significant events.

Development and history

Development was initiated in the early 1990s by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Forecast Systems Laboratory to replace the aging Automation of Field Operations and Services system. The project involved collaboration with federal partners like the Federal Aviation Administration and the United States Air Force to meet shared meteorological needs. Key milestones included operational testing at select Weather Forecast Office sites and integration with the Next Generation Weather Radar network. The system achieved full operational capability across the National Weather Service in the late 1990s, coinciding with the deployment of the Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler.

System architecture

The architecture is built on a distributed client-server model, primarily utilizing the Unix operating system and workstations from vendors like Silicon Graphics. Its software is written in C (programming language) and Fortran, designed for reliability and high-performance graphics rendering. The system interfaces with external data streams via the NOAAPORT satellite broadcast system and the Advanced Weather Information Processing System network. This design allows for the centralized processing of numerical weather prediction models from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction while enabling local customization and product generation.

Functionality and applications

Core functionalities include sophisticated data visualization, allowing forecasters to overlay radar imagery, satellite data, and lightning strikes from the National Lightning Detection Network. It features tools for analyzing numerical guidance from models like the North American Mesoscale Model and the Global Forecast System. Applications are highly specialized, supporting tasks such as hydrologic forecasting in coordination with River Forecast Centers and aviation weather via the Meteorological Aerodrome Report. The system is indispensable for creating graphical forecasts and issuing severe weather warnings, directly supporting the Storm Prediction Center's convective outlooks.

Deployment and users

The system is deployed at every Weather Forecast Office, River Forecast Center, and national center within the National Weather Service, as well as at select United States Navy and United States Air Force weather units. Key users include Warning Coordination Meteorologists and Science and Operations Officers who rely on it for daily briefing preparation and decision-making. International meteorological services, such as Meteorological Service of Canada, have adopted similar systems based on its architecture. Training on the system is conducted at the National Weather Service Training Center in Kansas City.

Successor systems

Plans for modernization led to the development of the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System II, designed to leverage improved information technology and software engineering practices. This next-generation system aims to address limitations in data integration and processing speed, incorporating lessons from projects like the Weather and Climate Operational Supercomputing System. The eventual goal is a fully scalable, service-oriented architecture that will support future initiatives such as the Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations and enhanced collaboration with agencies like the United States Geological Survey.

Category:National Weather Service Category:Meteorological instrumentation and equipment Category:Weather forecasting