B -- Meeting to Discuss the National Weather Service plans to collect, distribute, and archive WSR-88D Level II data; Silver Spring, MD. June 18, 2003

The National Weather Service (NWS) will host a one-day meeting in Room 2358, in the Silver Spring Metro Center (SSMC2), 1325 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3283, beginning at 8:30 am (Eastern) on June 18, 2003. The meeting discussions will focus on NWS plans to collect, distribute and archive WSR-88D Level II data. The NWS plans the following meeting objectives: 1. The NWS will describe the proposed architecture for electronically collecting and distributing WSR-88D Level II data; 2. The NWS will describe the proposed NWS implementation schedule; 3. Current and prospective non-NEXRAD agency users of real-time Level II data will be asked to comment on the proposed NWS architecture; 4. Comments will be solicited on how the private sector may wish to redistribute Level II data, given the NWS-proposed architecture; 5. The NWS will discuss the decision-making process and how the information gathered from this meeting will be used in finalizing the Level II distribution architecture and distribution policy; and 6. The NWS will attempt to answer questions that may arise during the meeting with respect to distribution of Level II data. The NWS plans to electronically collect, distribute and archive Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) Level II data in near real time. The NWS will use this approach to archive these data at the National Climatic Data Center and provide the data for operational use at the National Center for Environment Prediction Centers. The NWS plans to make these data available to external users (users outside the NEXRAD Program). The NWS Level II data collection network will use NWS Net and the Internet2/Abilene network in a collaborative approach to transport these data to users. The NWS data collection network will be implemented in a two-phased approach: 1. Leverage the successful Collaborative Radar Acquisition Field Test (CRAFT) Project by supporting continued CRAFT operations; adding data compression/data manager PCs at NWS sites that are not a part of CRAFT; and connect these additional sites to the NWS data collection network by the end of 2003; and 2. Install the required compression and data manager software on WSR-88D systems and connect select CONUS DOD WSR-88D sites to the data collection network by the end of 2004. The agenda for the proposed meeting will be at the following URL: http://www.roc.noaa.gov/NWS_Level_2/. Recommendations for agenda items, objectives, and other comments/questions should be sent to: [email protected]. People planning to attend the meeting should send their name, organization, email address, and phone number to [email protected] by June 16,2003. This will assist the clearance of visitors through the SSMC2 security check point. You may attend the meeting without prior notice, but may encounter delays in clearing security.