Safety Recommendation A-14-017

We note that you continue to implement digital aviation services (DAS), which will provide all NWS weather forecast offices (WFOs) with a gridded database of aviation weather forecast information. We also note that, as part of this work, you solicited public comments in 2022 on the experimental ceiling, visibility, and low-level wind shear (LLWS) grids in the National Digital Forecast Database (NDFD) over the contiguous United States (CONUS) and Puerto Rico.

We continue to believe your efforts thus far are responsive to this recommendation. Pending DAS implementation at all 122 NWS WFOs, Safety Recommendation A-14-17 remains classified OPEN-- ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE.

-From John D. Murphy, Chief Operating Officer, NOAA National Weather Service: In our previous response to A-14-17, the NWS indicated that staff is working on the phased implementation of the Digital Aviation Services (DAS) which will provide a nationally consistent gridded database of aviation weather forecast information. At this time, the NWS is soliciting public comments on the experimental Ceiling, Visibility, and Low-level Wind Shear (LLWS) grids in the National Digital Forecast Database (NDFD) over the conterminous United States (CONUS), and Puerto Rico through May 23, 2023.

The Public Information Statement (PNS22-29) that was disseminated in May 2022 contains additional information related to these experimental grids and can be found at the link below: https://www.weather.gov/media/notification/pdf2/pns22-29_exp_aviation_grids_in_ndfd.pdf We will provide additional updates as this work progresses.

We note that, to promote greater consistency among aviation and nonaviation products, you are implementing digital aviation services (DAS) that will provide all NWS weather forecast offices (WFOs) with a gridded database of aviation weather forecast information. You indicated that, currently, DAS is operational at 82 of 122 NWS WFOs, including all eastern and central regions. We also note that, to further improve the consistency of your products, WFO-generated public weather warnings have been incorporated into the NWS Aviation Weather Center (AWC) Graphical Forecasts for Aviation tool, which is available online.

In addition, you reported that, in January 2019, you removed references to “when hazardous conditions affect an area of at least 3,000 square miles” from NWS Instruction 10-811, which is the policy directive for en-route forecasts and advisories.

We believe your actions thus far are responsive to this recommendation. Pending DAS implementation at all 122 NWS WFOs, Safety Recommendation A-14-17 remains classified OPEN--ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE.

-From John D. Murphy, Chief Operating Officer, NOAA National Weather Service: The phased implementation of digital aviation services (DAS), a multi-year effort to provide a nationally consistent gridded database of aviation weather forecast information, continues at an increasing number of NWS Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs). One of the goals of DAS is to promote, greater consistency among aviation and non-aviation products. As of June 2019, DAS was operational at 82 of 122 WFOs including all of Eastern and Central Regions; Southern and Western Region offices are planning DAS to be operational by the end of FY20; Alaska Region and Pacific Region offices will implement DAS in FY21.

To further promote consistency between products, NWS Aviation Weather Center (AWC) incorporated public weather warnings generated by WFOs into their Graphical Forecasts for Aviation tool on their website. Also, NWS Instruction 10-811, the policy directive for en-route forecasts and advisories, was updated as of January 2, 2019. This update removed references to “when hazardous conditions affect an area of at least 3,000 square miles” and retained references to “areas judged to have significant impact on the safety of aircraft operations”. NWS recommends Safety Recommendation A-14-17 be closed.

You previously said that you would modernize NWS processes at local weather forecast offices, focusing on digital/gridded information, to improve the consistency of your products, including aviation products. Although the improvements discussed in your letter were partially responsive to this recommendation, we asked you to describe how you planned to improve coordination between NWS offices. It has now been almost 5 years since this recommendation was issued and we have not received any additional information from you regarding any actions that you have completed or planned in response to this recommendation.

Pending our receipt of an update, Safety Recommendation A-14-17 remains classified OPEN--ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE.

We note that you are modernizing NWS processes at local weather forecast offices, focusing on digital/gridded information, to improve the consistency of your products, including aviation products. We are encouraged that your plans include assessing the area requirements for aviation weather products, working to eliminate the 3,000 square mile restriction, and ensuring that aviation products contain the same information as that in non-aviation products.

We point out, however, that the revisions you plan to the weather grids will not ensure, for example, that a local NWS weather forecast office issuing a fog warning for highway travel will coordinate with the appropriate NWS aviation weather forecast office, such as a center weather service unit, to issue a similar warning for the same area in an aviation weather product. The improvements discussed in your letter will partially address the issue that is the subject of Safety Recommendation A-14-17, but we ask that you describe in your reply the procedures that you will develop and implement to ensure the needed coordination among NWS offices.

In the meantime, pending completion of the recommended action, Safety Recommendation A-14-17 is classified OPEN—ACCEPTABLE RESPONSE.

-From Louis W. Uccellini, Director, National Weather Service: The NWS is modernizing the forecast processes at local weather forecast offices with a focus on digital/gridded information in line with our goals established through the next year. The shift in how forecasts are produced in digital format will dramatically improve the consistency of the NWS product suite, including aviation products. Furthermore, NWS will continue to emphasize the importance of updating aviation products with the same information that is being conveyed in non aviation products.

As NWS transitions to providing more digital/gridded information, we will work with the FAA and the aviation community to assess the areal requirements for aviation weather products and coordinate elimination of the 3,000 square mile restriction.