Graphix Based Weather Warnings?

[Jonathan.Brazzell]

We at the San Angelo office were one of the test sites for the polygon warning method. After the test was over, we decided that we would not return to county based warnings. Polygon warnings are the best way to go. Now if we only could get a way to transmit the LAT and LON in the same code and folks could enter their LAT/LON's into their weather radio and significantly diminish the false alarm. Man that would be great!

The Weather Service as a whole is scheduled to go to polygon warnings in FY 07.

 

[rdale]

"Now if we only could get a way to transmit the LAT and LON in the same code and folks could enter their LAT/LON's into their weather radio and significantly diminish the false alarm."

AMEN! At that point I'd be notably inclined to advertise NWR more frequently... Then again - users aren't clamoring for their cellphone company to add notifications based on cell towers, so I'm not sure that they would be any more enthused about NWR?!?

 

[Joe Nield]

Actually, polygon warning capability has been around since the early days of AWIPS, with some WFOs using them as early as 1996ish. But as I said - because it is still policy to verify warnings based on counties, we see a lot of warning polygons "re-shaped" to county outlines. This will hopefully end soon as warnings become verified by polygon.
[/b]

Yes, but as far as I know, it has only been explored as potential national policy since last convective season. We've been participating in the test of the polygon philosophy at IND since then, and the plan, as far as I know, is to go national with a directive next warm season.

All I know is that we can't serve two masters. Verification must be done by polygon if we're going to warn purely by polygon.

ALL OPINIONS CONTAINED HEREIN ARE MINE, AND DO NOT REFLECT ANY POSITION OF THE US DEPT OF COMMERCE, NOAA, OR THE NWS.