Tabular Product Evolution Using eXtensible Markup Language Update

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Tabular Product Evolution Using eXtensible Markup
Language Update
2009 Family of Services (FOS) Meeting

• Presented by Art Thomas
• Office of Climate, Water and Weather Service
  (OCWWS)
• Meteorological Services Division
• Fire and Public Weather Services Branch
• January 15, 2009

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Overview

• Origins of TPEX
• TPEX Product Suite
• TPEX Product Advantages for Users/Partners
• TPEX Product Details
• Sample FoX3 XML Product
• Methods for viewing TPEX XML Products
• Dissemination methods
• Operational dates for TPEX products

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Overview

• Since 1972, the National Centers for
  Environmental Prediction (NCEP) have issued two
  widely-distributed text products
• Selected Cities Summary (SCS)
• Travelers Forecast (TAV)
• These tabular products are dated
• MDL was tasked to find new ways to streamline and
  modernize the production of SCS
• The National Digital Forecast Database (NDFD)
  played a key role for TPEX

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TPEX Product Suite

• Forecasts in XML (FoX) Products
• Contains forecasts of Weather and High/Low
  Temperatures. 3-day and 7-day versions.
• Observations in XML (ObX)
• Contains observed High/Low temperatures and
  amount of precipitation
• Temperature Extremes in XML (TEX)
• Contains previous days CONUS High and Low
  Temperatures
• NDFD-based Selected Cities Summary (SCS)
• Contains observed High/Low Temperatures Total
  Precipitation for a 24-hr period and 2-day
  forecasts for temperature and weather conditions.

SCS Tabular Products are issued twice daily
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TPEX Product Advantages forour Users/Partners

• Product Flexibility
• XML is easier for choosing the amount of output
  and data
• XSLT stylesheets can be used as starting point to
  tailor output of desired products
• New cities, weather elements, times can be added
  Users/Partners software not adversely affected
  if NWS adds to existing products.
• Accuracy
• XML products issued more frequently
• Addresses West Coast observation timing problem

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TPEX Product Advantages for our Users/Partners
(Contd)

• Data Organization
• Logical organization to data. Forecasts and
  observations in separate products
• Product Reliability
• Automation means access to more reliable issuance
  of products

XML products could replace legacy SCS product
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TPEX Product Details
TPEX Product Organizational Responsibilities Key
NDFD
Hydrometeorological Prediction Center (HPC)
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NCEP Central Operations (NCO)
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Sample Portion of XML Forecast Product (FOX3)

• (snip)
• ltparameters applicable-locationBaltimore"gt
• lttemperature type"maximum" units"Fahrenheit"
  time-layout"k-p12h-n3-3"gt
• ltnamegtMaximum Temperaturelt/namegt
• ltvaluegt76lt/valuegt
• ltvaluegt72lt/valuegt
• ltvaluegt58lt/valuegt
• lt/temperaturegt
• lttemperature type"minimum" units"Fahrenheit"
  time-layout"k-p13h-n3-3"gt
• ltnamegtMinimum Temperaturelt/namegt
• ltvaluegt61lt/valuegt
• ltvaluegt63lt/valuegt
• ltvaluegt45lt/valuegt
• lt/temperaturegt
• ltweather time-layout"k-p12h-n6-3"gt
• ltnamegtWeather Type, Coverage, and
  Intensitylt/namegt
• ltweather-conditions weather-summarySunny/gt
• ltweather-conditions weather-summaryClear/gt
• ltweather-conditions weather-summaryMostly
  Cloudy/gt

Max Temp. Values
Min Temp. Values
Weather Values
The complete DWML schema can be found at
http//www.weather.gov/forecasts/xml/DWMLgen/schem
a/DWML.xsd
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Methods for viewing TPEX XML Products

• XML editors and web browsers
• XSLT stylesheet (translates XML into formats like
  text)

ltlocationgt ltlocation-keygtKCQTlt/location-keygt ltcity
state"CA summarization "conus"gtLos
Angeleslt/citygt lt/locationgt ltparameters
applicable-location"KCQT"gt lttemperature
type"maximum units "Fahrenheit"
time-layout"k-p12h-n1-1"gt ltnamegtNational Maximum
Temperature lt/namegt ltvaluegt90lt/valuegt lt/temperatur
egt lt/parametersgt
US Temperature Extremes 2007-01-05T185657Z N
ational High Temperature KCQT Los Angeles
90F National Low Temperature KMSP Minneapolis
12F
XSLT Stylesheet
Methods for viewing TPEX XML Products
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Dissemination methods for TPEX products
() ftp site is of the form ftp//tgftp.nws.noaa.
gov/A Example ftp//tgftp.nws.noaa.gov/SL.us008
001/DF.xml/DC.textf/DS.xobrx () URL site is of
the form http//www.nws.noaa.gov/view/validProds
.php?prodPRODnodeNODE Example
http//www.nws.noaa.gov/view/validProds.php?prodX
F0nodeKWBN
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Operational Dates for TPEX products

• TPEX XML Products (FOX3, FOX7, ObX, TEX)
• December 9th, 2008.
• TPEX SCS Text Product
• January 13th, 2009
• Note HPC SCS was replaced by operational TPEX
  SCS on January 13, 2009 at 12 UTC.