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Methodology for Follow Up Products

This page is featured as a quick highlight to some of the background material about the methodology for issuing follow up (continuation, correction, and expiration) products in AWIPS OB 2 WarnGen. For AWIPS focal points needing more detailed information about these follow up products and how to implement them, try FSL's WarnGen followup capabilities site.

  1. In AWIPS OB 2, the WarnGen GUI has been altered by adding a "FOLLOW UP" pull down menu in the upper right hand portion of the "Product type" section

    Image of the product type portion of the WarnGen GUI

    1. By selecting the FOLLOW UP menu, a list of all currently active Severe Thunderstorm (SVR) and Tornado (TOR) warnings will be listed

      Image of the FOLLOW UP menu in the WarnGen GUI

    2. These products will be listed in the following format:

      AAA-CCCNNNXXX.ZZZZ

      where the coding is interpreted as:

      AAA - CON (continuation of current warning), COR (correction to current warning), CAN (cancel current warning), EXP (issue expiration message), CA2 (cancel second part of combined product), or NEW (new warning for a quasi-steady state storm)
      CCC - 3-letter office node (i.e., DEN - WFO Denver, CO, WBC - Baltimore, MD/Washington, DC, etc.)
      NNN - 3-letter product identifier (i.e., SVR for Severe Thunderstorm Warning, TOR for Tornado Warning, etc.)
      XXX - 3-letter station identifier (i.e., DEN - WFO Denver, CO, LWX - Baltimore, MD/Washington DC, etc.)
      ZZZZ - VTEC event tracking number
    3. If the product is labeled with a "CON", then the time before expiration will appear at the end of the line
    4. By selecting "UPDATE LIST", the followup action product list will be updated with any products that have been updated since you opened the GUI (i.e., no notification process in WarnGen)
    5. One of the follow up products must be selected before the user can edit the product text
  2. The followup products that are available will be dependent on the timing relative to the products expiration time
    1. EXP is only available during the final 5 minutes before product expiration
    2. COR is only available during the first 10 minutes after a product is issued

      Image of the Correct/Reissue pulldown menu

    3. CAN and CON are only available if there is more than 5 minutes left until product expiration
    4. NEW is only available if the original product is within 20 minutes of expiring, or has expired in the last 30 minutes
  3. To assist in using the FOLLOW UP menu, the Local Warning graphical product now displays the VTEC # with each warning
  4. Forecasters now have to assign Flash Flood and Severe Weather Statements to specific warnings, which can be done through the FOLLOW UP menu. This change was made with VTEC in mind.
  5. WarnGen also allows the user to select a product for updating geographically using the right mouse button
    1. Can only be used after a followup template has been chosen, but before a warning polygon has been drawn
    2. The FOLLOW UP menu will list the available products to follow up by geographic proximity to the point select with the right mouse button (i.e., nearest product first, second closest second, etc.)
    3. Repeatedly clicking the right mouse button in the same place will cycle through the list of products in the FOLLOW UP menu (i.e., clicking twice will place the second closest product at the top of the list, three times will place the third closest at the top, etc.)
    4. This geographic feature only works for followup products
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Warning Decision Training Branch
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September 11, 2008 9:40a.gov" class="gray">WDTB Webmaster
Page last modified: September 11, 2008 9:40

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