Localized Aviation MOS Program

LAMP Announcement

January 19, 2006

 

Attention LAMP users:

The LAMP system, which currently provides an update to the NGM MOS guidance, is currently being redeveloped to update the more modern GFS MOS guidance. Beginning on or around January 23, 2006, the web site http://weather.gov/mdl/lamp will contain information about the new GFS-LAMP system. At this site, you will be able to find experimental guidance from the redeveloped system, in addition to technical information about the new system. This web site is experimental, contains experimental products, and is not supported 24x7. However, as with the current NGM-based LAMP system, please contact us if you notice that the data are old, and we will try to rectify the situation as soon as we can.

As of January 2006, one GFS LAMP cycle is nearing completion, and that is the 0900 UTC cycle. Our next cycle will be 2100 UTC, and will be available on this web site in an experimental mode in Spring 2006.

For more details about the new system, please visit our web site.

Key differences between the NGM-based LAMP system and the GFS-based LAMP system are summarized below:

	Current (NGM-based) LAMP	New (GFS-based) LAMP
Updates	NGM MOS	GFS MOS
Runs	Locally in AWIPS	Centrally on NCEP computers
Distribution	Within AWIPS, NWS ftp server, experimentally on web	Across NOAAport, SBN, NWS ftp server experimentally on web, received in AWIPS and at NWS National Centers
Cycles	Every 3 hours	Every hour (planned)
Projections	Hourly out 20 hours	Hourly out 25 hours
Coverage	CONUS	CONUS, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico (Thunderstorm guidance available over CONUS only)
Stations	~ 1000 stations	> 1500 Stations

Key differences between the NGM-based LAMP forecast elements and the GFS-based LAMP forecast elements are summarized below:

Element	Current (NGM-based) LAMP	New (GFS -based) LAMP
Temperature	Yes	Planned
Dewpoint	Yes	Planned
Wind Direction	Yes	Planned
Wind Speed	Yes	Planned
Wind Gusts	No	Planned
Probability of Precipitation Occurring on the Hour	Yes	Planned
Best Category (yes/no) for Occurrence of precipitation on the Hour	Yes	Planned
Probability of Precipitation Occurring in a 6-h period	Yes	Planned
Probability of Precipitation Occurring in a 12-h period	Yes	Planned
Probability of Thunderstorm Occurring in a 20-km gridbox in a 2-h period	No	Planned
Best Category (yes/no) for Occurrence of thunderstorm in a 20-km gridbox in a 2-h period	No	Planned
Precipitation Type	Yes	Planned
Precipitation Characteristics	No	Planned
Sky Cover	Yes	Planned
Ceiling Height	Yes	Planned
Conditional Ceiling Height	No	Planned
Visibility	Yes	Planned
Conditional Visibility	No	Planned
Obstruction to Vision	Yes	Planned
Quantitative Precipitation Forecast	Yes	Not Planned
Cloud Layers	Yes	Not Planned

Text and graphical guidance for the 0900 UTC cycle for the above GFS-LAMP elements will be available on the web site starting on or about January 23, 2006, with the following exceptions: Probability of thunderstorms, best category of thunderstorms occurring, precipitation type, and conditional ceiling height. Guidance for these elements will be available on the web site as soon as they are thoroughly tested. In addition, probability of precipitation in a 12-hour period and precipitation characteristics will be available only via the BUFR formatted data. They will not be available in a text format.

The NGM-based LAMP guidance will continue to be available on the web site until such time that the product is no longer an operational product in AWIPS.

Thank you for your interest in LAMP.

Judy Ghirardelli

NWS/OST/MDL/LAMP