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Anvil Forecast Tool in the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing SystemMeteorologists from the 45th Weather Squadron (45 WS) and National Weather Service Spaceflight Meteorology Group (SMG) have identified anvil forecasting as one of their most challenging tasks when predicting the probability of violations of the Lightning Launch Commit Criteria and Space Shuttle Flight Rules. As a result, the Applied Meteorology Unit (AMU) was tasked to create a graphical overlay tool for the Meteorological Interactive Data Display System (MIDDS) that indicates the threat of thunderstorm anvil clouds, using either observed or model forecast winds as input. The tool creates a graphic depicting the potential location of thunderstorm anvils one, two, and three hours into the future. The locations are based on the average of the upper level observed or forecasted winds. The graphic includes 10 and 20 n mi standoff circles centered at the location of interest, as well as one-, two-, and three-hour arcs in the upwind direction. The arcs extend outward across a 30 sector width based on a previous AMU study that determined thunderstorm anvils move in a direction plus or minus 15 of the upper-level wind direction. The AMU was then tasked to transition the tool to the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS). SMG later requested the tool be updated to provide more flexibility and quicker access to model data. This presentation describes the work performed by the AMU to transition the tool into AWIPS, as well as the subsequent improvements made to the tool.
Document ID
20130010528
Acquisition Source
Kennedy Space Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Barrett, Joe H., III
(ENSCO, Inc. Cocoa Beach, FL, United States)
Hood, Doris
(National Weather Service Houston, TX, United States)
Date Acquired
August 27, 2013
Publication Date
January 11, 2009
Subject Category
Meteorology And Climatology
Report/Patent Number
KSC-2008-141
Meeting Information
Meeting: 25th Conference on International Interactive Information and Processing Systems (TIPS) for Meteorology, Oceanography, and Hydrology, American Meteorological Society
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Country: United States
Start Date: January 11, 2009
End Date: January 15, 2009
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNK06MA70C
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
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