This Sunday, while crowds gather under the bright lights to cheer on their favorite team, the National Weather Service (NWS) will use a cutting-edge new tool developed by the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) to provide information to San Francisco area emergency managers and public safety officials during Super Bowl LX.
Across the country, outdoor events have a common challenge: severe weather can develop fast, and traditional warnings offer limited time to act. Today, the average severe thunderstorm warning provides about 20 minutes of lead time. For a crowd of 75,000 people, 20 minutes to get to safety would be a scramble. Safety officials need more time to execute the play.
NSSL’s Warn-On-Forecast System can help forecasters put more time back on the clock.
The Warn-on-Forecast System, or WoFS, uses a team of rapid-updating, high-resolution computer models and real-time observations to tell us where a storm is likely to be an hour before it even forms. Instead of waiting for dangerous weather to show its gameplan, WoFS provides probabilistic guidance up to an hour in advance, helping forecasters call an audible when severe weather is showing a blitz.
That extra lead time allows emergency managers and public safety officials to call their defense, making informed decisions sooner, activating safety plans and communicating clearly with the public. For large outdoor venues, that additional 30 to 60 minutes can make a world of difference.
Currently on its way to the big leagues and NWS operations, WoFS is in demonstration status at the National Weather Service. In addition to Super Bowl LX, this cutting-edge tool will be available for forecasters during some of the world’s most high-profile outdoor events this year including World Cup matches and the Kentucky Derby.
From the biggest stages in the world to the smallest local gatherings and everything in between, weather safety depends on one thing: time. WoFS is giving that time back to the forecasters and decision makers who need it most so event goers have critical time to act. It’s a winning play for public safety.
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