Eastern Region WCM Conference Call 1 Warning Products Update: Hurricane Extreme Wind Warning Proposed Headline Changes in NWS Warning Products Mark Tew Marine and Coastal Weather Services Branch Office of Climate, Water and Weather Services Partners Meeting January 18, 2007 Warning Products Update

Eastern Region WCM Conference Call 2 Extreme Wind Warning

Eastern Region WCM Conference Call 3 Purpose To provide short- fused, county sized alerts prior to the onset of extreme winds associated with the inner rain- bands of major hurricanes Extreme Wind Warning

Eastern Region WCM Conference Call 4 Criteria Imminent onset of, or occurring tropical cyclone related sustained surface winds, greater than or equal to 100 knots (115 mph) Extreme tropical cyclone winds expected to occur within a WFOs CWA within an hour Extreme Wind Warning

Eastern Region WCM Conference Call 5 Extreme Wind Warnings Will: Be issued for the smallest geographic area possible, encompassing the extreme wind conditions Use valid times of two hours or less Issued only one time for a given location Updates will be provided within Severe Weather Statements (SVS) Extreme Wind Warning

Eastern Region WCM Conference Call 6 EWW Example EWWTBW FLC /O.NEW.KTBW.EW.W T1938Z T2100Z/ BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED EXTREME WIND WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY - RUSKIN FL 338 PM EDT FRI AUG THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RUSKIN HAS ISSUED AN * EXTREME WIND WARNING FOR THE ONSET OF SUSTAINED WINDS OF 115 MPH OR GREATER FOR... CHARLOTTE COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA * UNTIL 500 PM EDT * AT 335 PM EDT...SURFACE OBSERVATIONS AND NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED EXTREME WINDS...ASSOCIATED WITH THE EYEWALL OF HURRICANE CHARLEY...WERE MOVING ONSHORE NEAR NORTH CAPTIVA ISLAND. SUSTAINED WINDS IN EXCESS OF 140 MPH...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WIDESPREAD DESTRUCTION...CAN BE EXPECTED AS THE EYEWALL PASSES OVERHEAD. MOVEMENT WAS NORTH NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. * THESE EXTREME WINDS WILL AFFECT... CHARLOTTE COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM! MOVE INTO AN INTERIOR ROOM AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND OUTER WALLS. COVER YOUR HEAD AND BODY WITH PILLOWS OR BLANKETS. LAT...LON $$ Extreme Wind Warning

Eastern Region WCM Conference Call 7 Implementation Timeline Public Notification (PNS) – Feb 2007 AWIPS OB7.2 – Spring 2007 National Implementation – June 2007 New EAS EWW Code – Longer Term – Working with FCC to gain approval Extreme Wind Warning

Eastern Region WCM Conference Call 8 Partner Feedback Consideration being given to change the issuance criteria from sustained winds of 115 mph or greater to frequent gusts of 115 mph or greater Comments or questions to: Extreme Wind Warning

Eastern Region WCM Conference Call 9 Proposed Headline Changes in NWS Warning Products Mark Tew Marine and Coastal Weather Services Branch Office of Climate, Water and Weather Services Partners Meeting January 18, 2007 New NWS Headline Requirements

Eastern Region WCM Conference Call 10 Pre-VTEC: Purpose of Long Duration Headlines Lists current watch/warning/advisory product –Product name not identified in AWIPS ID (WSW = 19 products) –Short duration products have own unique AWIPS ID SVR, TOR, FFW, SMW Provides valid time information –Product expiration time usually differs from event expiration time –Short duration products – these times match New NWS Headline Requirements

Eastern Region WCM Conference Call 11 Headline Timeline Proposed Standardized Format for NWS Segment Headlines –Provided by First Alert (Marvin McInnis - Jan, 2004), endorsed by Meteorologix and WSI Implemented Headline Standardization Winter –Served as a backup until VTEC implementation Implemented VTEC – Nov 2005 New NWS Headline Requirements

Eastern Region WCM Conference Call 12 Confusing Headlines: Downgrades & Replacements High Wind Warning downgraded to a Wind Advisory:...HIGH WIND WARNING CANCELLED FOR THE NORTH OREGEON CASCADES......WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 11 PM LATE TONIGHT UNTIL 4 PM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON FOR THE NORTH OREGON CASCADES... Blizzard Warning replacing a Winter Storm Warning:...WINTER STORM WARNING CANCELLED…...BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL UNTIL 4 PM MST WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON... New NWS Headline Requirements

Eastern Region WCM Conference Call 13 Post VTEC: Headline Flexibility VTEC Coding and Headlines meet Separate Needs –VTEC Coding used for computer reliant users –Headlines for users making life and property protection decisions Provide Option to Unlock Headlines –Provide forecaster greater latitude to fix misleading headlines Simplify headlines –Eliminate action phrases and time zones –Replace specific time phrases with general time phrases New NWS Headline Requirements

Eastern Region WCM Conference Call 14 Simplified Headlines Downgrades (Two headlines combined into one): …HIGH WIND WARNING REPLACED BY WIND ADVISORY…THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON FOR THE NORTH OREGON CASCADES… Replacements: …WINTER STORM WARNING REPLACED BY BLIZZARD WARNING…THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON…

Eastern Region WCM Conference Call 15 Solution Short term – Unlock Headlines to allow forecasters to correct confusing headlines –Target Winter Long Term – Implement Warning Software improvements New NWS Headline Requirements

Eastern Region WCM Conference Call 16 The End Questions or Comments? New NWS Headline Requirements