One of the new features implemented with AvnFPS 3.2, is the ability to monitor IFPS ceiling and visibility grids in the AvnWatch GUI. This is an experiment pioneered by the Charleston, WV (RLX) WFO with a few other eastern region WFOs participating. The acquisition of such grids into GFE is described. However, the initialization, methodology or editing of such grids are not discussed here.

The required 'parms', predominate and categorical cloud heights and categories, and visibility grids, need to be added to the GFESuite ifpServer Fcst and Official databases. To do this, the GFESuite's localConfig.py file need the following entries:

CigHgt = ("CigHgt", SCALAR, "100ft", "Cloud Ceiling Height", 250.0, 0.0, 0, NO)
PredHgt = ("PredHgt", SCALAR, "100ft", "Predominant Cloud Height", 250.0, 0.0, 0, NO)
CigHgtCat = ("CigHgtCat", SCALAR, "index", "Cloud Ceiling Height Category", 6.0, 0.0, 0, NO)
PredHgtCat = ("PredHgtCat", SCALAR, "index", "Predominant Cloud Height Category", 6.0, 0.0, 0, NO)
Vsby = ("Vsby", SCALAR, 'mi', 'Visibility', 10.0, 0.0, 2, NO)
	

And the following tuple added to the list 'parms':

([CigHgt, PredHgt, CigHgtCat, PredHgtCat, Vsby], TC1)
	

Once updated, the ifpServer will have to be stopped and restarted for these changes to take effect.

A GFESuite text formatter, /awips/adapt/avnfps/3.2/py/IFPS2AvnFPS.py, will need to be modified to query the new ifpServer parms and place them into the AvnFPS database. The octalthorpes, #, in the first column from lines 269 to 289 and lines 305 to 309 need to be removed. Save your changes.

To monitor these grids in AvnWatch GUI, new monitoring rules for grids need to be added. Using the the AvnFPS configuration tool 'Monitoring Critera' GUI, select the grids tab. A list of current monitoring rules for grids appear in the upper-half of the editor. In the available methods column, select the 'CigCatDelta' rule and then press Add button to monitor ceiling categories between your TAFs and the GFE grids. To monitor GFE visibility grids with your TAFs, select the 'VsbyCatDelta' monitoring rule and press the Add button. Press the Save to save your changes and restart the AvnWatch GUI.