# Presentation: 130136

## Experimental Marine Weather Warning Product

**Marine Program Leaders Meeting**
**Silver Spring, MD**
***October 24, 2007***
*Mark Tew*
*National Marine Weather Program Leader*
*OCWWS – Marine and Coastal Weather Services Branch*

## Watch / Warning / AdvisoryHow does the rest of NWS do it?

- Winter Weather Program – (WSW)
- Winter Weather Watch
- Winter Weather Warning
- Winter Weather Advisory
- Non-Precipitation Program –(NPW)
- Non-Precipitation Watch
- Non-Precipitation Warning
- Non-Precipitation Advisory

- Hydrological Program – (FFA/FLW/FLS)
- Flood Watch
- Flood Warning
- Flood Advisory
- Coastal Hazards Program – (CFW)
- Coastal Flood Watch
- Coastal Flood Warning
- Coastal Flood Advisory

***Marine Weather Warning***

## Current Long Duration Marine Warning Program

- No Marine Weather Watch
- No Marine Weather Warning Bulletin
- Marine Hazards Headlined in CWF, NSH and GLF
- Similar to issuing Blizzard Warnings using the ZFP
- CWF and NSH contain VTEC Strings
- Forces permanent VTEC string in forecast products
- ROU – used when no hazards are in effect
- GLF has NO VTEC
- VTEC hole in our marine warning program
- Marine Weather Warnings and Advisories (24 total)
- Hurricane Force Wind Warning
- Storm Warning
- Gale Warning
- Small Craft Advisories
- Hurricane/Tropical Storm Watches/Warnings

***Marine Weather Warning***

## Small Craft Advisory in CWF

- ANZ532>534-030815-
- /O.CON.KLWX.SC.Y.0071.060603T1200Z-060604T0100Z/
- CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM SANDY POINT TO NORTH BEACH-
- CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM NORTH BEACH TO DRUM POINT-
- CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM DRUM POINT TO SMITH POINT-
- 423 PM EDT FRI JUN 2 2006
- ...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY MORNING
- THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING...
- .TONIGHT...S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. WAVES 2 FT. SHOWERS AND TSTMS.
- VSBY 1 TO 3 NM.
- .SAT...SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. WAVES 3 FT. SHOWERS LIKELY WITH A
- CHANCE OF TSTMS. VSBY 1 TO 3 NM.
- .SAT NIGHT...N WINDS 15 TO 20 KT EARLY IN THE EVENING...DECREASING
- TO 10 TO 15 KT. WAVES 3 FT.
- ...etc.

**SC.Y in**
**VTEC String**

***Marine Weather Warning***

## Proposal

- Develop New Marine Weather Warning Bulletin
- Proposed by WFO Eureka and WRH
- Accepted at National Marine Program Leaders Meeting in June 2006
- Motivation
- Consistency with other warning programs
- Improves understanding and use of NWS Warning products
- Standardizes procedures for forecasters
- Provides needed warning tool
- CWF headline practice shows the need for Watches
- ...Gale Warning Expected Tuesday...
- Vehicle to carry VTEC from CWF and NSH
- Fills VTEC Hole in the Open Waters of the Great Lakes
- Value to Users and Partners
- Allows for more detailed warning information
- Easier to obtain using automated means

## Motivation – Value to customers

- The new Marine Weather Warning will allow forecasters to paint a picture of the synoptic situation and link it to the resulting hazardous wind or seas situation
- Current approach does not connect the “why” with the “what”

***Marine Weather Warning***

## MWW Hazards

**Marine Watches**
-  Hurricane Watch
-  Tropical Storm Watch
-  Hurricane Force Wind Watch
-  Storm Watch
-  Gale Watch
-  Hazardous Seas Watch
-  Heavy Freezing Spray Watch
-     ***New Watch Products***

**Marine Warnings**
-  Hurricane Warning
-  Tropical Storm Warning
-  Hurricane Force Wind Warning
-  Storm Warning
-  Gale Warning
-  Hazardous Seas Warning
-  Heavy Freezing Spray Warning

**Tropical Hazards Transfer to HLS in 2008**

***Marine Weather Warning***

## MWW Hazards - Continued

-  Ashfall Advisory
-  Brisk Wind Advisory
-  Dense Fog Advisory
-  Dense Smoke Advisory
-  Freezing Spray Advisory
-  Low Water Advisory
-  Small Craft Advisory
-  Small Craft Advisory for Hazardous Seas
-  Small Craft Advisory for Rough Bar
-  Small Craft Advisory for Winds

***Marine Weather Warning***

## Partner Acceptance

- MWW Proposal endorsed by National Partners
- Presented at Partners Meeting in June 2006 & 2007
- Prefer VTEC in one hazard product like WSW & NPW
- Problems decoding VTEC in two forecast products
- Both contain “ROU” codes
- MWW Supported by Great Lakes Users – Feb 07
- Lake Carriers Association & International Ship Masters
- Formally approved the MWW proposal
- USCG Ninth District
- MWW would improve the dispatching of ships for search and rescue operations
- Provide more meteorology (the why) for staff briefings

***Marine Weather Warning***

## Requirements Development

- Chartered MWW Improvement Team
- Developed Requirements and Project Plan
- MWW Formatter
- Developed by Greg Mann at WFO Detroit
- Prototype transfer of field development to AWIPS baseline
- Expedite product implementation
- Establish MWW Test Sites
- Six sites testing today, up to 13 sites in Nov
- Issue experimental MWW with “E” VTEC
- Continue operational VTEC in CWF and NSH
- Evaluation of MWW Products
- Provide demonstration results and customer feedback
- Target – AWIPS OB8.3 for Implementation in Fall 2008

***Marine Weather Warning***

## MWW User Feedback

- Great Lakes Partner/Vendor
*This is an essential product. It has taken way too long to develop. Experimental usage should be expanded to all offices that have open water responsibility ASAP! *
*Please make this product available for all Great Lakes waters ASAP, even if in an experimental mode. *
- Later E-mail message:
*I must admit that I have become frustrated with how long it has taken to implement VTEC and H-VTEC but I'm sure there are many behind the scenes issues to deal with. *
*I worded my hopes for expanding the use of experimental VTEC in the MWW product so strongly because I have an immediate need for it.  *
- Retired Meteorology professor and marine meteorologist from Hawaii
- On a scale of 0 to 10 (10 highest), rate how easy you found the product/service to interpret and use. RATING: 8.
- What features did you like or find useful? *The attempt to be specific as possible. *

## MWW User Feedback

- Amateur radio operator from Honolulu
- On a scale of 0 to 10 (10 highest), rate technical quality of this product/service (e.g., forecast accuracy, timeliness, problems with display).  RATING: 10
- On a scale of 0 to 10 (10 highest), rate how easy you found the product/service to interpret and use. RATING: 10
- COMMENT: *the \"Geico caveman\" would react against my input *

***Marine Weather Warning***

## Common Alerting Protocol - CAP

- NWS CAP IWT (OSIP 07-024) unable to parse the CAP Instruction element out of existing WMO-formatted text W/W/A products generated by AWIPS
- Proposal – add set of “Instruction markers” in WMO-formatted text W/W/A and associated statement products generated by AWIPS
- On Sep 7, 2007, Proposal agreed upon by OCWWS Service Program leads, Regional Headquarters and a group of national NWS partners
- On OCT 2, 2007 – CAP added to MWW Formatter
- Instruction Field markers inserted around the MWW-defined CTAs
- Permits the use of the Instruction Field markers in an experimental product (MWW) in a prototyping and risk reduction effort.
- The MWW is the first text product to contain Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) markup tags

***Marine Weather Warning***

## CAP Format

***“******The Order requires EAS participants to accept messages using Common Alerting Protocol (CAP)...****to ensure the efficient and rapid transmission of EAS alerts to the American public in a variety of formats (including text, audio and video) and via different means (broadcast, cable, satellite, and other networks) and to promote the development of Next Generation EAS.”*
- Federal Communications Commission Announcement
- May 31, 2007

**http://****www.eic.org/docs/FCCCAPEASnotice.pdf**

***Marine Weather Warning***

**Notes:**
A related project is to put our warnings in CAP (Common Alerting Protocol) format. This will benefit storm-based warnings by making the warning area digitally available to a wider office, and more flexible to add information. 

## MWW Formatter Changes

- Updated the VTEC upgrade/ downgrade/replacement table
- Insert the CAP instruction tags around the MWW definition CTAs
- Temporarily include the thunderstorm disclaimer

***Marine Weather Warning***

## MWW Example #1 

**MWWMFR**
**EXPERIMENTAL...URGENT – MARINE WEATHER MESSAGE**
**NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR**
**700 AM PST FRI MAR 9 2007**
**...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM PST THIS EVENING...**
**.WINDS WILL INCREASE LATE THIS MORNING AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING**
**STRONG COLD FRONT THAT WILL REACH THE COAST BY LATE AFTERNOON.**
**SOUTH WINDS WILL INCREASE TO GALES LATE THIS MORNING. AFTER THE**
**FRONT PASSES THROUGH THE WATERS WINDS WILL BECOME NORTHWEST**
**AND DIMINISH BELOW GALES TO SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WINDS.**
**PZZ350-356-370-376-092300-**
**/E.NEW.KMFR.GL.W.0001.070309T1600Z-070310T0500Z/**
**COASTAL WATERS FROM FLORENCE TO CAPE BLANCO OR OUT 20 NM**
**COASTAL WATERS FROM CAPE BLANCO OR TO PT. ST. GEORGE CA OUT 20 NM **
**WATERS FROM FLORENCE TO CAPE BLANCO OR FROM 20 TO 60 NM **
**WATERS FROM CAPE BLANCO OR TO PT. ST. GEORGE CA FROM 20 TO 60 NM-**
**705 AM PST FRI MAR 9 2007**
** ****...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM PST THIS EVENING...**
**THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEDFORD HAS ISSUED A GALE**
**WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM THIS EVENING. SOUTH WINDS WILL**
**INCREASE LATE THIS MORNING AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT...WITH EXPECTED**
**WINDS OF 35 TO 40 KT WITH GUSTS TO 45 KT. WINDS WILL BECOME NORTHWEST**
**AND DIMINISH BELOW GALES BEHIND THE FRONT LATE THIS EVENING.**
**<INSTRUCTION>**
**A GALE WARNING MEANS WINDS OF 34 TO 47 KNOTS ARE IMMINENT OR**
**OCCURRING. OPERATING A VESSEL IN GALE CONDITIONS REQUIRES EXPERIENCE**
**AND PROPERLY EQUIPPED VESSELS. IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THAT MARINERS WITHOUT THE PROPER EXPERIENCE SEEK SAFE HARBOR PRIOR TO THE ONSET OF **
**GALE CONDITIONS.**
**</END INSTRUCTION>**
**$$**
**THIS PRODUCT DOES NOT INCLUDE INFORMATION ON SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS **
**AND TORNADOES. SEE PRODUCTS SUCH AS SPECIAL MARINE WARNINGS...**
**MARINE WEATHER STATEMENTS...WATCH COUNTY NOTIFICATIONS AND **
**THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK. **

**Start CAP Instruction Tag**

**End CAP Instruction TAG**

**Temporary Disclaimer**

- MWW Example #1

## MWW Example #2 

**MWWDTX**
**EXPERIMENTAL...URGENT - MARINE WEATHER MESSAGE**
**NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI**
**358 AM EDT WED OCT 3 2007**
**...GUSTY WINDS WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE MORNING...**
**.LOW PRESSURE WILL DEEPEN AS IT LIFTS FROM LAKE SUPERIOR INTO**
**CANADA THIS MORNING...DRAGGING AN ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT ACROSS THE**
**REGION LATE THIS MORNING. GUSTY SOUTH TO SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL**
**PERSIST THROUGH THE MORNING ALONG AND AHEAD OF THIS COLD FRONT.**
**THE WINDS AND WAVES WILL SUBSIDE THIS AFTERNOON AS HIGH PRESSURE**
**BUILDS INTO THE REGION. **
**LHZ441>443-031800-**
**/E.EXT.KDTX.SC.Y.0156.000000T0000Z-071003T1800Z/**
**PORT AUSTIN TO HARBOR BEACH MI-HARBOR BEACH TO PORT SANILAC MI-**
**PORT SANILAC TO PORT HURON MI-**
**358 AM EDT WED OCT 3 2007**
**...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON...**
**THE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON.**
**SOUTHERLY WINDS OF 20 TO 25 KNOTS WILL VEER TO THE SOUTHWEST BY**
**LATE MORNING. THE WINDS WILL DIMINISH TO 10 TO 15 KNOTS THIS**
**AFTERNOON. WAVES OF 3 TO 5 FEET THIS MORNING WILL SUBSIDE TO 2 TO**
**4 FEET DURING THE AFTERNOON. **
**<INSTRUCTION>**
**A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY MEANS THAT WIND SPEEDS OF 21 TO 33 KNOTS **
**ARE EXPECTED TO PRODUCE HAZARDOUS WAVE CONDITIONS TO SMALL CRAFT. **
**INEXPERIENCED MARINERS... ESPECIALLY THOSE OPERATING SMALLER VESSELS**
**SHOULD AVOID NAVIGATING IN THESE CONDITIONS.**
**</END INSTRUCTION>**
**$$**
**THIS PRODUCT DOES NOT INCLUDE INFORMATION ON SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS **
**AND TORNADOES. SEE PRODUCTS SUCH AS SPECIAL MARINE WARNINGS...**
**MARINE WEATHER STATEMENTS...WATCH COUNTY NOTIFICATIONS AND **
**THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK. **

- MWW Example #2** **

## MWW WFO Test Sites

- DTX – Detroit/Pontiac, MI
- HFO – Honolulu, HI
- MFR – Medford, OR
- MOB – Mobile, AL
- TBW – Tampa Bay, FL
- LOT – Chicago, IL
- BUF – Buffalo, NY
- CAR – Caribou, ME
- CHS – Charleston, SC
- GRR – Grand Rapids, MI
- HOU – Houston, TX
- IWX – Northern Indiana, IN
- MKX – Milwaukee, WI
*New MWW Test Sites in November 2007*

***Marine Weather Warning***

## MWW Key Milestones

| Date | Action | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Jun 2006 | MWW proposal accepted – WFO Eureka and WRH | Complete |
| Jun 2006 | MWW endorsed at Partners Meeting | Complete |
| Nov 2006 | MWW team chartered – 1 to 2 members from each region | Complete |
| Feb 2006 | MWW approved by Great Lakes Marine Users (LCA, USCG, ISMA) | Complete |
| Apr 2007 | Develop MWW OSIP requirements – Approved through Gate 2 | Complete |
| Jun 2007 | Develop MWW formatter – SOO WFO DTX | Complete |
| Jun 2007 | Present MWW Status at NWS Partners Meeting | Complete |
| Jul 2007 | Test MWW formatter at NWSH AWIPs Workstation – Field forecasters | Complete |
| Jul 2007 | Issue PNS to announce experimental test of MWW | Complete |
| Aug 2007 | Begin OT&E of experimental MWW at six WFOs | Complete |
| Sep-Nov 2007 | Evaluate MWW Test Results – Verify 95%(+ 5%) error free products | In Progress |
| Nov 2007 | MWW formatter transferred into AWIPS OB8.3 baseline delivery | In Progress  |
| May 2008 | Issue National MWW SCN for all marine WFOs except AR   | Low Risk |
| Fall 2008 | MWW operational implementation – Exception AR, later timeline  | Low Risk |

## Steps to Produce MWW

- Create Hazard grids as you normally would
- Have CWF saved as a work file so MWW formatter grabs the synopsis
- Run MWW formatter
- Edit the Overview Headline and add the segment text as needed
- Call to action statements should need little if any editing
- Do Not edit or delete the CAP Tags. If CTA is edited...make sure CAP Tags are on their own line

***Marine Weather Warning***

## MWW Web Page:

- _[http://](http://www.weather.gov/os/mww)__[www.weather.gov/os/mww](http://www.weather.gov/os/mww)_

***Marine Weather Warning***

## The End

- Questions or Comments?

***Marine Weather Warning***