# Presentation: 353467

## Jessica Schultz
WFO Fort Worth, TX

Mark Fox
NWS Southern Region Headquarters
Fort Worth, TX

**WFO Fort Worth, TX**
**Mark Fox**
**NWS Southern Region Headquarters**
**Fort Worth, TX**

**Graphicasts in Southern Region:**
**Depicting Multiple Weather Hazards**

## Overview

- Graphical Forecasts Not New
- Can Be Misused or Misinterpreted
**By the designer**
**By the customer**
- Designed to give a quick understanding of the weather event

## Overview

- Various Graphical Forecasts
**Styles**
**Programs**
- What Works?
- What Could be Improved?
- Customer Feedback
- What Do You Think?

## History of Graphicasts in the NWS

- FXC software developed in 1998 by FSL to collaborate with internal and external customers/partners
- WFO Norman and SE RFC forerunners of graphicasts
- Numerous offices across the NWS have followed suit
- Graphicasts used to communicate a variety of weather hazards

## Graphicast Subjects

- Fire Weather
- Severe Weather
- Winter Weather
- River Flooding
- Tropical Hazards
- Outline Watch Areas
- Depict big changes to the forecast
- Communicate various local user needs

## Fire Weather Graphicasts

- Active Fire Weather Season             Winter 2005-2006
- SR WFOs used graphics to disseminate fire weather hazards
- Graphic varieties included: Traditional Graphicasts (FXC), Special Webpages, GFE-Generated Graphics

## Fire Weather Graphicasts

- WFO OUN Fire WX Graphic (FXC)
- Started with blank FXC template
- Tabular depiction of fire hazards
- Data derived from GFE and OK/TX     Fire Agencies

## Fire Weather Graphicasts

- WFO FWD Special Enhanced Webpage
- Fire WX Graphics derived from GFE
- Scrolling banner highlighted concerns
- Quick Links to HWO and forecast RH

## Fire Weather Graphicasts

- WFO MAF used traditional Graphicasts (FXC)
- Utilized webpage to review the meteorological set-up for critical fire wx and subsequent impacts

## Fire Weather Graphicasts

- WFO SJT also utilized traditional FXC Graphicasts
- Provided call-to-action statements at the bottom of the graphic

## Fire Weather Graphicasts

- WFO TSA used          GFE-Generated graphics
- Data derived from grids and sent to web with each forecast update & routine issuance
- Several risk analysis graphics also derived from forecast grids

## Fire Weather Graphicasts

- WFO LUB used FXC for post-event analysis
- Used Satellite to show hot spots and dust plumes

## Fire Weather Graphicasts

- Each of These had a Common Thread
- Get information out quickly
- Make the Situation as easy to understand as possible
- Enhanced Service above and beyond the routine
- Each was similar – but different
- What Makes a Graphical Forecast Good ?

## Graphical Forecasts: The Good

## Graphical Forecasts: The Good

**Graphical Forecasts: ****The Good**

## Graphical Forecasts: The Good

## Graphical Forecasts: The Not So Good...

## Graphical Forecasts: The Not So Good...

## Graphical Forecasts: And These...

## Graphical Forecasts: And These...

**Graphical Forecasts: ****And These...**

## ...Might as Well Be This...

## What Makes a GoodGraphical Forecast?

- Simplicity
**Less is More**
**Avoid Clutter**
- Attention Grabbing
**Eye Catching**
**Based in Reality**
**Maintains Professionalism**
- Has a Reason
**Explains a situation**
**Depicts Weather Impacts**

## Graphic Revisited...

- Colorful
- Overly Complicated – What does it Mean? How do you read it?

**Graphic Revisited...**

## Making Graphical Forecasts

- Must forecasters be graphic artists?
- No, but remember...
**Keep it Simple**
**Grab Attention**
**Get the Message Across**

## Customer Feedback

- Customer Feedback Survey conducted by WFO FWD        March-May 2007
- Feedback solicited to public through FWD Newsletter; via email to EM Community

## Customer Feedback

- Highly Positive
- Customers want More!
- EMs link graphicasts to local webpages
- Fort Worth area newspaper links images to web

## Customer Feedback

- Customers want updates at least every 4-6 hours
- They are paying attention to the Time Stamp!
- Radar imagery is very useful, but expires quickly. Update Often.

## Customer Feedback

- Localize! Add more fine details...
-    Timing, Roads, Cities

- Be cautious of clutter, colors, and how image views on web

## Customer Feedback

- Customers requested multiple images that cover a number of weather headlines
- Short-term and   Long-term graphics

## Questions?

**Jessica Schultz**
**Jessica.Schultz@noaa.gov**
**WFO Fort Worth, TX**
**Mark Fox**
**Mark.Fox@noaa.gov**
**NWS Southern Region **
**Headquarters**
**Fort Worth, TX**