1. Total Operational Weather Readiness - Satellites (TOWR-S)
Eric Guillot
National Weather Service Office of Observations
Integrity Applications Incorporated
GOES-R Brown Bag
20 May 2015

2. TOWR-S Project Objective
Evaluate the operational viability of GOES-R and JPSS satellite data and systems in support of the NWS forecast and warning missions

3. What is AWIPS-II?
Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS-II)
An AWIPS system is located at every NWS Weather Forecast Office and National Center
NWS views all of their weather data (models, radar, satellite) in AWIPS
NWS issues their weather products using AWPS

4. TOWR-S Basis Focus on AWIPS-II usage Use Case:
Generally time critical, high-impact activity
Large geographically diverse NWS user base:
122 Weather Forecast Offices
13 River Forecast Centers
8 National Centers
Complex interaction between GOES-R, JPSS, and many other weather data sets
Use Case:
Describes a specific real-world mission action
Characterizes the journey that the supporting data take from their use in the mission action all the way back to their observation
The TOWR-G approach / methodology is applicable to other satellite program’s end-to-end testing. However, AWIPS may not be the mission endpoint for these programs. For example, an end point for COSMIC would be impact that GPSRO has on numerical weather prediction. DSCOVR and JASON also likely would not have AWIPS mission end points.

5. TOWR-S Approach
Identify representative AWIPS-II use cases from NWS Directives based on:
NWS mission priority
Relative contribution and potential of GOES-R & JPSS
Distribution across NWS organizations and facilities
NOSIA mission service areas
Work with operational forecasters to define reference use cases
Trace use cases back to all data sources
Derive validation objectives
Design and execute tests
Leverage GOES-R Data Operations Exercises (DOEs)
Assess operational viability from validation objectives
Identify areas requiring enhancement or remediation

6. TOWR-S Use Cases
Initial use cases identified from the NWS Directives (categorized via NOSIA Mission Service Areas)
267 source documents reviewed, 498 use cases, 196 use case candidates (Candidate/Total)
Severe Weather: 49/81
Hydrology and Water Resources: 10/54
Routine Weather: 39/150
Fire Weather: 3/9
Aviation Weather and Volcanic Ash: 36/53
Climate Monitoring and Assessment 3/13
Space Weather: 23/23
Climate Prediction: 0/33
Hurricanes and Tropical Storms: 22/26
Tsunami: 0/7
Marine Weather and Coastal Events: 11/27
Misc/Non-Weather: 0/22

7. Use Case Partners Use Case Organization Partners Position
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Eastern Region
Frank Alsheimer
WFO Charleston SOO
Dave Radell
ER HQ Meteorologist
Red Flag Warning
Western Region
Mel Norquist
WFO Eureka SOO
Mike Stavish
WFO Medford SOO
Hurricane and Tropical Storm
Watch /Warning
National Hurricane Center
Mark DeMaria
NHC Supervisory Meteorologist
Mike Brennan
NHC Senior Hurricane Specialist
Volcanic Ash Advisory
Washington Volcanic Ash Advisory Center
Jamie Kibler
Washington VAAC Operations Manager
Deterministic Hydrologic Forecast
West Gulf River Forecast Center
Greg Story
Meteorologist
Dust Storm Warning
Southern Region
Brian Guyer
WFO Albuquerque Satellite Focal Point
High Seas Forecast
Ocean Prediction Center
Jim Clark
OPC Senior Meteorologist
Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF)
Pacific Region
Robert Ballard
WFO Honolulu SOO
Convective Sigmet
Aviation Weather Center
Bruce Entwistle
AWC SOO
Severe Thunderstorm Watch
Storm Prediction Center
Israel Jirak
SPC SOO
TBD
Weather Prediction Center

8. Tracing of Use Cases Back to Data Source
Other
Data
NWS forecaster
executes the
use case
GOES-R
Data
Use Case Endpoint:
Real World
Mission Action
GOES-R
Data
Not just about data flow (data distribution), its about identifying any obstruction or bottleneck from any of the stakeholders to achieving NWS mission.
It’s also about answering the validation question “did we build the right thing?”. Does the GOES-R system satisfy the NOSIA (weather) mission requirements from which the GOES-R system requirements were derived. How effective is the system to meeting those?
GOES-R
Interface
(AWIPS, PDA, GRB)
New/Modified System
Unchanged System
System Stakeholder:
Organization develops/operates
systems in the path 8

9. Dataflow CONOPS – WFO Severe Thunderstorm Use Case
SCMI
Channel 2
Channel 7
Channel 8
Channel 9
Channel 10
Channel 12
Channel 13
Channel 14
NCF
PDA
Derived Winds
GLM
WFO Charleston
Stab Indices
TPW
Cloud Temp
Cloud Height
= Standing Subscription
= Terrestrial Link
= AWIPS DD SBN
= NWS SBN
= AWIPS DD Terrestrial

10. Dataflow CONOPS – National Center Hurricane Warning Use Case
GRB
SCMI
Channel 1
Channel 2
Channel 7
Channel 8
Channel 9
Channel 10
Channel 12
Channel 13
Channel 14
NCF
PDA
National Hurricane Center
Derived Winds
GLM
Hurr Intensity
TPW
SST
= GRB Downlink
= Terrestrial Link
= Standing Subscription
= NWS SBN
= AWIPS DD Terrestrial

11. Red Flag Warning Use Case – AWIPS-II Display Diagram

12. Red Flag Warning AWIPS-II Procedure Display
Red Flag Warning Use Case – AWIPS-II Display Bundle
Red Flag Warning AWIPS-II Procedure Display

13. TOWR-S Milestones
AWIPS Tests – Coordinated with AWIPS-2 contractor Raytheon to evaluate AWIPS-2 functionality and performance under simulated GOES-R data load
Data Operations Exercises (DOEs) – Validation of NWS capability to effectively integrate GOES-R products into the forecast and warning mission areas.
Event
Date
Purpose
Status
AWIPS Test #3
Jan 20 –
Stress testing of Severe Thunderstorm Warning and Red Flag Warning A2 Procedures, Himawari simulated imagery
Complete
Satellite Science Week Meeting
Feb
Side meeting - NWS Operational & Training Participation exploitation planning for AWIPS Test 4, Poster presentation
AWIPS Test #4
May 11 –
Stress testing of TAF, Dust Storm Warning, and Deterministic Hydrologic Forecast A2 Procedures, first simulated GOES-R imagery sent over SBN
Proving Ground/User Readiness Meeting
June
Detailed planning for DOE-4 exploitation integrated across agenda
Planned
SOO/DOH Meeting
Sept
Daily weather briefings using simulated GOES-R data
DOE – 4
Oct 5 – Nov
Full end-to-end data flow test from GOES-R Ground Segment to AWIPS-2 terminals at participating stakeholder locations (WFOs, National Centers, etc)
Post DOE & GOES-R OT&E TOWR activities
2016
Focused enhancements in AWIPS, integration of Direct Broadcast capabilities, CONOPS development, further enhancements of capabilities into NWS operations
Planning
GOES-R DOE definition "Coordinated by the GOES-R Data Operations Support Team (DOST) to test dataflow through GOES-R ground segment to AWIPS interface"...our viewpoint expressed on slide

14. TOWR-S Lab at NWS HQ
Development instance of AWIPS-II built for TOWR-S purposes
Connected to GRB GSSIM simulator in lab to ensure DOE-4 functionality

15. TOWR-S Summary
TOWR-S is about operational viability (usability) of GOES-R & JPSS data and its contribution to the NWS forecast and warning missions
Tracking data flow across systems supports the TOWR-S effort, but distribution is just a component
Operational forecasters across the country are partnering with TOWR-S to develop use cases
TOWR-S validation effort will leverage GOES-R DOE-4 to execute the end-to-end operational environment