# Presentation: 490079

## The WSR-88D Tropical Cyclone Operations Plan (TCOP) – A Living Document

- P02

_**Historical Overview:**_
** ****The WSR-88D Tropical Cyclone Operations Plan (TCOP) provides guidance on the optimal use of the WSR-88D radar and its products during tropical cyclone events.  **
** ****It was originally developed in 1994 as a collaborative effort between Colin McAdie of the National Hurricane Center (now the Tropical Prediction Center, TPC) and Dave Sharp of the Melbourne, Florida, Weather Forecast Office (WFO).  **
** ****Its successful use by other WFOs grew over the years, which led to its incorporation in the National Hurricane Operations Plan (NHOP) in recent years.  **
**Due to numerous changes in WSR-88D software and hardware, responsibility for maintaining the TCOP shifted to the Radar Operations Center.**

**Dan Berkowitz, Dave Zittel, and Mark Fresch (Radar Operations Center);****Colin McAdie (Tropical Prediction Center); and ****Dave Sharp and Scott Spratt (Weather Forecast Office, Melbourne, FL)**

*The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of the National Weather Service.*

***60th Interdepartmental Hurricane Conference******  ****Mobile, AL   March 2006*

- 1. _Generator Fuel _
- 2. _Reinitializing Memory and Precipitation Accumulations _
- 3. _Clutter Suppression _
- 	a. _Setting Up a Minimal Clutter Suppression Region _
- 	b. _Selecting an Existing Clutter Suppression Region File _
- 4. _VCP Selection _
- 5. _Mitigation of Range Folding _
- 6. _Velocity Measurement Increment _
- 	a. _For VCP 121 Build 7 systems only _
- 	b. _For all other VCPs (either Build 6 or 7 systems) _
- 7. _Algorithms _
- 	a. _Mesocyclone Algorithm Optimization _
- 	b. _Mesocyclone Detection Algorithm Optimization _
- 	c. _Tornado Detection Algorithm Optimization _
- 	. _Precipitation Estimate Optimization _
- 		i. _Z/R Relationship _
- 		ii. _MXPRA _
- 8. _Selectable Product Parameters _
- 	a. _Velocity Data Display Levels _
- 	b. _Precipitation Product Display Levels _
- 9. _Generation and Distribution of Products for National Centers _
- 10. _Archive Level II _
- 11. _AWIPS Data Archiving _
- 12. _AWIPS Data Requests from Adjacent Radars _
- 13. _AWIPS Minimum RPS Lists _

**256-level and Operator-Selected 16-level Velocity Scale**

**Velocity Product Data Levels Help Determine Maximum Inbound and Outbound Velocities and Significant Features Within the Storm (e.g., Hurricane Katrina)**

**Reflectivity**

**8-Level Velocity**

**16-Level Velocity**

**256-Level Velocity**

**8-Level and 16-Level Velocity Products ****Have Operator-Selectable Scales ****(e.g., Hurricane Wilma with max. 138 kt outbound velocity at 1108 UTC)**

**System Changes**
**Coastal WSR-88Ds switched to ORDA by start of hurricane season**
**Use of GMAP for clutter suppression**
**WSR-88D Build 8 RPG-induced Changes**
**Main HCI window changes**
**New clutter suppression window**
**Mode Selection Function window changes**
**Precipitation Status window changes**
**Corrections to VCP 121 VMI selection and rpgdbm task**
**AWIPS/WSR-88D Communications**
**WAN One Time Requests (OTRs) replace old/limited communications requests by AWIPS**
**TCOP Procedure Changes**
**256-data-level products recommended instead of velocity 8-data-level products**

**Major TCOP Changes in 2006**

**New VCP 121 (using Multiple PRF Dealiasing Algorithm, MPDA) Mitigates Range Folding (e.g., Hurricane Emily near Brownsville)**

**VCP 12**** **

**VCP 121**

**Velocity Increment Enables Products to Display Velocity >****±****122 kt (e.g., Hurricane Katrina, which had a maximum velocity in this 1132 UTC image of -142 kt at 139°/58 nm, roughly 5600 ft above radar level.)**

**0.5 m/s Increment**

**1.0 m/s Increment**

**Main WSR-88D Problems During 2004-2005 Tropical Seasons and What Was Done to Rectify Them**

**AWIPS did not display 256-level velocity properly in 2004.  This was fixed in AWIPS Build OB6 (2005).**
**WFOs were hesitant to use the new VCP 121 in 2004.  Its usage increased dramatically during the 2005 season.**
**Long periods of time without restarting the RPG and reinitializing its database may result in task failures (as occurred in Slidell).  This has been rectified in Build 8 RPG software (being distributed in early 2006).**
**Changing PRFs while in VCP 121 resulted in velocity increment reverting to 0.5 m/s (0.97 kt).  This was fixed in Build 8 software.**
**Communications backup is vital (for both wideband data and product transmission).  The NWS CIO’s Office is investigating microwave/satellite communications for vulnerable sites (such as Slidell/New Orleans).**

**Contents of the 2005 TCOP**

**Dissemination of WSR-88D TCOP and Emergency Notification of Changes**

**The WSR-88D TCOP is posted on  the Web site of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorology and has a link under the National Hurricane Operations Plan:**
- _[http://](http://www.ofcm.noaa.gov/nhop/wsr-88d/nat_trop_cyc_wsr-88d_ops_plan.pdf)__[www.ofcm.noaa.gov/nhop/wsr-88d/nat_trop_cyc_wsr-88d_ops_plan.pdf](http://www.ofcm.noaa.gov/nhop/wsr-88d/nat_trop_cyc_wsr-88d_ops_plan.pdf)_
- Short-term notification of changes or updates to the TCOP are done via e-mail from the WSR-88D Field Support Hotline.  NWS Regional Operations Centers also help ensure that field sites are aware of the TCOP and any changes in it.

**Reflectivity**

**Reflectivity**

**11:08Z**
**VMI=1.0 m/s**

**11:08Z**
**VMI=1.0**

- Note:  Images on this poster are post-analyses using Common Operations and Development Environment (CODEview Graphics, CVG) software except Hurricane Emily images, which used NCDC Java NEXRAD Viewer and actual radar products..

**Reflectivity**