The Experimental Warning Program (EWP) is a collaborative initiative operated within the NOAA Hazardous Weather Testbed (HWT) at the National Weather Center in Norman, Oklahoma. Its primary mission is to improve the nation’s severe weather warning services by testing new technologies, applications, and forecasting techniques before they are officially rolled out nationwide. Key Objectives of the Program
Bridge the Gap: Connects research scientists with front-line meteorologists to integrate new scientific concepts into daily operations.
Test Innovations: Evaluates advanced radar, satellite data, and computer models designed for short-fused convective weather events.
Improve Warning Accuracy: Optimizes how local National Weather Service (NWS) offices issue high-stakes warnings for severe hazards like tornadoes, large hail, and destructive winds. Core Projects & Frameworks Tested
The EWP tests frameworks designed to change how the public receives emergency weather data:
Warn-on-Forecast (WoF): An experimental, rapidly updating, high-resolution ensemble model system. It uses real-time radar and satellite data assimilation every 15 minutes to generate highly specific forecasts for individual thunderstorms.
FACETs (Forecasting a Continuum of Environmental Threats): A proposed modern, flexible watch and warning framework. It replaces traditional county-based warnings with grid-based, probabilistic threat assessments.
Impact-Based Warnings (IBW): A formatted system that breaks down weather hazards into explicit “Hazard,” “Source,” and “Impact” categories. This structure helps emergency managers and wireless networks quickly identify risk tiers to trigger Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA). How the Spring Experiment Works
The program is best known for its annual Spring Experiment. During this multi-week event, operational NWS forecasters, researchers, trainers, and software developers gather in a simulated operational environment. Forecasters issue experimental warnings in real time during active weather events using new software platforms. Their immediate feedback is used to refine the tools, ensuring they are practical and intuitive under high-stress conditions before deployment to local forecast offices.
If you would like to know more about the program, tell me if you want to explore the software tools used by forecasters, the timeline for upcoming experiments, or the specific radar technologies tested.
Experimental Warning Program – NOAA Hazardous Weather Testbed
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