National Weather Service

NWS Provision of Information in NWS Provision of Information in Geospatial Formats Geospatial Formats

Ken WatersKen WatersNOAA/National Weather ServiceNOAA/National Weather Service

Honolulu, HawaiiHonolulu, Hawaii

Partners Workshop, January 18, 2007Partners Workshop, January 18, 2007

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Strategic VisionStrategic Vision• Vision

• NRC "Fair Weather" report (2003):• NWS should make its observational data, models, and other products available in Internet-

accessible digital form...the information should be stored in a standard format that can be accessed by the public and used by all those involved in the weather and climate enterprise.

• NWS Strategic Plan for 2005-2010:• Investigate, develop, and expand the use of new technologies in data management and

information systems, such as new internet-based standards and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), to accelerate development and implementation of appropriate NWS and NOAA products and services and to integrate these services in ways that are meaningful to our customers

• Goals:• Take advantage of the power and advantages of using GIS• Consistent NWS Enterprise GIS dissemination• Based on widely used standards (OGC, etc.)• Technology-driven evolution coordinated with partners/users

• Challenges:• Allocating limited NWS resources most effectively• Maintaining consistent dissemination model and ensuring coordinated, orderly evolution

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Current Status of GISCurrent Status of GIS• Requirements Process (OSIP) project in system• Many projects: http://weather.gov/gis

• Range of formats, access modes • Experimental services developed at HQ, NCEP, and the field• Many involve collaboration with organizations outside NWS

• Exploring ways to exploit GIS• Verification (Polygon warning, QPE, etc.), next-generation product creation

software, etc.

• Examples of NWS GIS information• RIDGE radar• Warning Polygons• Flood Outlook• NDFD - Fire Weather• Precipitation Estimates• Tropical Cyclones

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RIDGERIDGE

• Georeferenced Downloadable RADAR data

• Experimental KML• Displayed in GIS

program with local data

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Warning PolygonsWarning Polygons

• Severe Thunderstorms, Tornado, Flash Flood, & Special Marine

• Available as a zipped shapefile file

• Displayed in Local GIS application

• Data also used by NWS for polygon verification

GIS verification of tornado warnings

Warnings For One Week as of Jan 14, 2007

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RFCRFCFlood Outlook product as shapefile

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NDFD/ Fire WeatherNDFD/ Fire Weather

• GRIB2 & DeGRIB Decoder• Feature Server (IMS, WFS) for Fire weather

Temperature forecast for 10/18/06 18Z for SW

US States and interstate highways added from AWIPS shapefiles

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Precipitation EstimatesPrecipitation Estimates QPE•Shapefile•NetCDF

QPFZipped shapefile

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Tropical CyclonesTropical Cyclones EM-Hurr

• IMS image and feature servers Prototype

• intragovernmental use only

Storm Surge• operational storm surge data in GIS format