User Interface Working Group (UIWG) Notes
HMT Blended Product
(Observational and Model Forecast Output)

Topic:  HMT Blended Product
Date: 11 May 2008
Presenter: Woody Roberts
Attendees: Joe Wakefield, Paul Schultz, Tracy Hansen, Tom LeFebevre, Tom Filiaggi, Carl Bullock. Jim Ramer, Dan Gottas, Allen White, Tim Schneider and Susan Williams

Woody opened the UIWG by giving a brief history of the HMT project. The HMT project has been going on for four years in the Western United States. In addition to the traditional AWIPS datasets/products, HMT has incorporated non-operational suites of products thus exposing forecasters to new products that will be used in subsequent HMT projects and considered for transition into operations.  Some these products are currently not available via AWIPS. This UIWG presents a new product that is currently available on the web, that if incorporated into AWIPS would set the stage for numerous other products of the type.

 The product review today represents a blended product of both observational and model forecast information. AWIPS can currently blend similar observational and model data sets - either by extending frame counts or overlaying products. However, there is no explicit mechanism to combine observations and forecast information (e.g. an "obs+prog" load mode) in the way presented here.  This type of product may be useful to the forecast process in the future in the context of "Warn on Forecast" and "Forecaster-Over-the-Loop".  Also, AWIPS does not currently support single-altitude point data (e.g. snow level) on time/height displays.

Jim Ramer had this comment via email:

"What you have here is a combination of time height and time series data in one display. While it would not be a bad thing if it were possible to do this in ALPS, it would be a big effort. Probably 2-4 weeks solid just to get the basics to work, and then probably another solid 2 weeks to get something that has the same look and feel as this display.

Given how specialized this display is, my opinion is that the best thing would be to have a cron produce a 32 bit DGM overlay on a scheduled basis. The downside of this approach is that sampling would not be possible."

During the discussion Jim also stated that the mixing of time series and time height depictions (mixing frames of references) would be a large effort and special case code would have to be generated. Special case code may be the way to go initially.

Here are a couple of information links:

http://www.etl.noaa.gov/et7/data/sitemap/WestCoast/

http://www.etl.noaa.gov/et7/data



Several noteworthy points were made during the discussion:

• The product presented illustrated a blend of observation data (hourly profiler derived horizontal winds, hourly profiler-derived snow level, profiler-derived upslope wind, observed GPS and profiler-derived water vapor flux, observed hourly coastal and mountain rainfall accumulations, observed 24-hour rainfall totals, etc.) and model forecast information (hourly horizontal winds, freezing level, layer used to derive the upslope component wind, etc.). Currently, PSD is using the WRF-HMT models for the forecast information in the product. Refer to the screen shot a more detailed list of parameters.

• As the product is now, each geographic location will need to tweak geographic/orographic information as applicable.
• A Plan View of this data would be an alternative depiction if enough sites were available. As Paul stated, if you have good moisture and wind observations, estimated precipitation could be derived. This would be appropriate for AWIPS. Until we try prototyping, we will not know what is possible. 
• As noted in the example, two points are depicted (Bodega Bay and Czazdero, CA). How can we expand this concept and make it applicable to an area, not just a point. GFE is already doing some of this for QPF forecasts.
• Paul suggested that Tom Hamil's precip forecasts would be an ideal candidate for these type of product.
• In regards to training for products such as these. Allen White went to Monterey and worked 2 shifts with the forecasters. Allen explained that this is a guidance product that the forecasters could use. This product is available on the web. Some WFOs are comfortable looking at the web for products and supported by the local management. Whereas other WFOs do not use the web....missing out on these types of guidance products.
• What are the next steps?
• Need to evaluate what is possible on the ALPS workstation.
• Reconvene to look at possible blended products on ALPS.
• Work with Dave Reyonlds (Monterey) to get his thoughts on what these products should be comprised of.
• Are there resources available for this type of prototyping? Is it reasonable to have a product such as this in next years HMT season? This would be resource dependent and other priorities would need to be considered.