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20050331: WWDISP problems on McIDAS (cont.)

>From: Gilbert Sebenste <address@hidden>
>Organization: NIU
>Keywords: 200503311932.j2VJWvv2017638 McIDAS WWDISP

Hi Gilbert,

re: earlier comments

>I get that. The problem is convective (severe thunderstorm/tornado) 
>watches. They will not plot. Winter ones, and flood watches plot fine.

OK.

I had an exchange with McIDAS User Group folks earlier today about the problem
you reported.  They too saw the failure with WWDISP yesterday:

  From address@hidden  Thu Mar 31 17:13:30 2005
  To: address@hidden
  CC: Todd Smith <address@hidden>
  Subject: Re: 20050331: WWDISP no longer plots severe wx (thundestorm/tornado)
   watches
  
  Hi Tom,
  Ironic that your message came today, as I noticed yesterday that I was
  [not] able to plot severe thunderstorm and tornado watch boxes with WWDISP,
  but was unable to list them with WWLIST because it couldn't find the
  product with the list of counties.
  
  Todd and I were looking into the problem today, and he said that
  WWDISP/LIST use APRO=SLS for finding the counties. But for the watches
  from yesterday and today, there were no SLS products so all we could do
  is plot the boxes with WWDISP PLOT=BOX or NBOX (WWDISP PLOT=COUNTY and
  WWLIST didn't work). So that agrees with what you and your user reported
  below.
  
  Just this afternoon, I found that WOU products with header WOUS64 seem
  to have replaced the old SLS products. At least that's what I see when
  checking the SPC webpage. For example, go to
  http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/watch/ww0114.html and it lists the
  product with the box outline below the map. But if you click the "List
  of Counties in Watch 114 (WOU)" link near the top, it lists the WOUS64
  product with a list of counties for the watch. I checked the previous 10
  watches on the site, and they all used WOUS64 for their product with
  lists of counties.
  
  So it looks like the 08 Nov 2004 NOAAPORT message you found is correct
  that we'll need to modify WWDISP/LIST to use the WOU messages for
  counties. Todd will do the additional investigation to find out if
  changing APRO=SLS to WMO=WOUS64 is sufficient in WWDISP/LIST and
  SEVERE_WX_WATCH_OUTLINE in WXCORE.PRD, or if it should be some other
  APRO/WMO.
  
  Thanks,
  Barry
  
  On 3/31/2005 4:44 PM, Unidata Support wrote:
  
  >>From: Unidata Support <address@hidden>
  >>Organization: UCAR/Unidata
  >>Keywords: 200503302006.j2UK6Av2007918 McIDAS WWDISP
  > 
  > Hi,
  > 
  > A Unidata user has reported that the v2004 WWDISP command no longer
  > plots "convective (severe thunderstorm/tornado)" watches, while "Winter
  > ones, and flood watches plot fine".  He further comments:  "It stopped
  > working after the watch-by county SLS product was dropped by the WFOs.
  > I have the new products going in, but they apparently aren't decoding."
  > 
  > Can you verify that this assertion is correct?
  > 
  > If this is correct, then what are the needed changes for the
  > SEVERE_WX_WATCH_OUTLINE definition in WXCORE.PRD?
  > 
  > I note the  November 8, 2004 admin message sent in NOAAPORT that
  > relates to this:
  > 
  >  ...
  > 
  > ON TUESDAY...FEBRUARY 22 2005 AT 1200 UTC... DESIGNATED WFOS IN
  > THE CONTIGUOUS UNITED STATES WILL DISCONTINUE ISSUING STATE AREAL
  > OUTLINE STATEMENTS /SLS/ TO DEPICT COUNTIES AND INDEPENDENT CITIES
  > IN INITIAL SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND TORNADO WATCH AREAS FOR THEIR
  > STATE OR STATES.
  > 
  > THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE SEV AND SLS PRODUCTS CAN NOW BE
  > FOUND IN THE WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE MESSAGE /WOU/ ISSUED BY THE SPC.
  > 
  >  ...
  > 
  > Thanks in advance for any insight you can provide!
  > 
  > Cheers,
  > 
  > Tom


I tried modifying the source code for WWDISP (~mcidas/mcidas2004/src/wwdisp.c)
to add search of WOUS64 bulletins for the counties; rebuilt the WWDISP
executable; and made some plots that covered the two day period Mar 30
- Mar 31.

Check out the resulting plots to verify that the fix works:

http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/content/staff/tom/gifs/wwdisp_new.gif
http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/content/staff/tom/gifs/wwdisp_MID.gif

I will be discussing the fix with the SSEC folks more tomorrow.  If they
agree with my fix, I will create a new v2004 addendum that contains the fix.

Cheers,

Tom
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>From address@hidden  Thu Mar 31 22:11:01 2005

Cool. Thanks for keeping me posted! Looking forward to a fix.

*******************************************************************************
Gilbert Sebenste                                                     ********
(My opinions only!)                                                  ******
Staff Meteorologist, Northern Illinois University                      ****
E-mail: address@hidden                                  ***
web: http://weather.admin.niu.edu                                      **
Work phone: 815-753-5492                                                *
*******************************************************************************