Experimental Graphical Tropical Weather Outlook

Contents

1. Overview
2. Changes for 2008
3. Explanation of the Graphical TWO
4. Probabilistic Genesis Forecasts
5. Methodology
6. Availability
7. Examples
8. Potential Benefits of a Graphical TWO
9. Feedback and Suggestions from 2007
10. References

9. Feedback and Suggestions from 2007

As of November 30, 2007 just over 2200 surveys on the GTWO were completed during the 2007 hurricane season. In addition to the surveys, NHC received approximately 600 e-mails about the product. A majority, 62%, of the survey respondents were individuals, indicating that the product successfully reached the general public. Nearly 1500 of these surveys were completed during the first two months of the product release, indicating that the GTWO was instantly used and evaluated. By comparison, 960 surveys regarding possible changes to the 3-day and 5-day TC track graphic with the cone of uncertainty were completed in a two-month period during the 2004 hurricane season.

Results from the survey indicate that the GTWO was extremely popular and user-friendly. Specifically, users gave the product an average rating of 8.9 and 9.6 (on a scale from 1 to 10) in terms of technical quality and ease of use, respectively. Nearly 90% of respondents rated the product as a 9 or 10 in terms of ease of use. Two-thirds of respondents said they used the product daily or several times per day, and an overwhelming majority (98%) of respondents that provided an answer felt that the GTWO was an appropriate product for the NHC to issue. The most common suggestions for improvements were 1) more frequent updates to the product, 2) the ability to distinguish between areas of disturbed weather based on their potential for tropical cyclogenesis, 3) improved satellite imagery, and 4) inclusion of a motion vector for each of the disturbances.

There were approximately 5.6 million web hits on the product during the 2007 hurricane season (as of November 25). The GTWO almost instantly became the most popular routinely-issued (i.e. excluding storm graphics) NHC product based on total web hits. In fact, the GTWO surpassed the operational text TWO in terms of web page hits within 30 days of its initial launch on July 15.

Please provide us feedback:  http://www.weather.gov/survey/nws-survey.php?code=gtwo

Next:  References